THE HOUSEBOAT 





Class 
Book, 



-3£i: 



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#i'^ 



Gopight}*'". 



COPflRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



T H E 

HOUSEBOAT 

BOOK 



The Log of a Cruise from 
Chicago to New Orleans 



BY 



WILLIAM F. WAUGH 



T 



THE CLINIC PUBLISHING COMPANY 

CHICAGO 

1904 






LIBRARY of CONGRESS 
Two Copies Received 

NOV 5 I9U4 

Copyrigni tniry 
CLASS o ^ XXc. NO! 



I 
COPY B. 



fj^^.f^fc 



Copyright, 1904, 
By William F. Waugh. 



PRESS OF 

THE CLINIC PUBLISHING CO. 

CHICAGO. 





CONTENTS. 


PAGE 


I. 


Prelude 


5 


11. 


Gathering Information 


• 9 


III. 


Preparations .... 


13 


IV. 


The First Shipwreck . 


.23 


V. 


The Canal .... 


27 


VI. 


The Illinois River 


40 


VII. 


Building the Boat . 


46 


VIII. 


The Lower Illinois 


55 


IX. 


Towing 


. 68 


X. 


St. Louis 


17 


^^XI. 


The Mississippi 


81 


XII. 


Cairo and the Ohio 


90 


XIII. 


Duck Shooting 


103 


XIV. 


Snagged in Tennessee Chute 


109 


XV. 


Mooring 


116 


XVI. 


A Levee Camp 


118 


XVII. 


Vicksburg .... 


128 


XVIII. 


River Pirates .... 


133 


XIX. 


The Atchafalaya . 


136 


XX. 


Melville. Deer Hunting 


141 


XXI. 


Baton Rouge. The Panther 


150 


XXII. 


The Bobcat .... 


163 


XXIII. 


Ascending the Atchafalaya . 


167 


XXIV. 


Ducking at Catahoula Lake 


^7Z 


XXV. 


Some Louisiana Folks . 


185 


XXVI. 


From Winter to Summer in a Da] 


J 192 


XXVII. 


Voyage Ended 


196 


XXVIII. 


Dangers and Delights . 


199 


XXIX. 


Results 


205 



CHAPTER I. 



PRELUDE. 



Once upon a time there was a doctor who, 
after many years spent in that pursuit concluded 
to reform. But strong is the influence of evil 
associates, and those who had abetted him in his 
old ways still endeavored to lead him therein. 

One day his good angel whispered in his ear 
the magic words, "House boat;" and straight- 
way there arose in his mental vision the picture 
of a broad river, the boat lazily floating, children 
fishing, wife's cheery call to view bits of scenery 
too lovely for solitary enjoyment, and a long 
year of blissful seclusion where no tale of woe 
could penetrate, nO' printer's devil cry for copy. 
Incidentally the tired eyes could rest, and the 
long stretches of uninterrupted time be trans- 
muted into creative work ; with nO' banging tele- 
phone or boring Visitor to scatter the faculties 
into hopeless desuetude. Sandwich with hours 



6 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

busy with those recuperative implements, the rod 
and gun, the adventures and explorations inci- 
dent to the trip, and here was a scheme to make 
the heart of a city-tired man leap. 

So he went to the friend whose kindly appre- 
ciation had put a monetary value upon the em- 
anations from his brain, and suggested that now 
was the time for the besom of reform to get in 
its work, and by discharging him to clear the 
way for new and improved editorial talent. But 
the friend received the suggestion with contume- 
ly, threatening to do the editor bodily harm if 
he so much as mentioned or even contemplated 
any attempt to escape. The scheme was per- 
force postponed for a year, and in the meantime 
attempts were made to gather useful information 
upon the subject. 

The plan seemed simple enough — to leave 
Chicago by the Drainage Canal, float down to 
the Illinois River, then down it to the Missis- 
sippi, by it to New Orleans, then to strike off 
through the bayous or canals into the watery 
wastes southwest, and spend there the time until 
the approach of the Carnival called us back to 
the southern metropolis. By starting about Sep- 



PRELUDE. 7 

tember ist we could accompany the ducks on 
their southern journey, and have plenty of time 
to dawdle along, stopping wherever it seemed 
good to us. 

So we went to work to gather information. 
The great bookstores were ransacked for books 
descriptive of houseboat trips down the Missis- 
sippi. There were none. Then we asked for 
charts of the Illinois and Mississippi. There 
were none of the former in existence ; of the lat- 
ter the Government was said to have published 
charts of the river from St. Louis to the Gulf; 
and these were ordered, though they were some- 
what old, and the river changes constantly. Then 
a search was made for books on American house- 
boats and trips made upon them; books giving 
some rational information as to what such things 
are, how they are procured, furnished, managed, 
what is to be had and what avoided; but with- 
out avail. Even logs of canoe trips on the great 
river, and accounts of recent steamer trips, are 
singularly scarce. People insisted on forcing 
upon our notice Bangs' ''Houseboat on the Styx," 
despite our reiterated asseverations that we did 
not care to travel over that route just now. 



8 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

Black's ''Strange Adventures of a Houseboat" is 
principally remarkable for the practical informa- 
tion it does not give. 

Scarcely a juvenile was to be found treating 
of the subjects ; nor have the novelists paid any 
attention to the rivers for a third of a century. 
Books of travel on the great system of inland 
American waters are similarly rare. 

It has finally come home to us that this is a 
virgin field; that the great American people re- 
side in the valley of the greatest river in the 
world, and pay no attention to it ; write nothing 
of it, know nothing, and we fear care nothing. 
And while many persons utilize houseboats, and 
many more would do so if they knew what they 
are, and how much pleasure is to be derived 
therefrom, no one has seen fit to print a book 
that would make some amends to an intending 
purchaser for his lack of experience. Possibly 
the experiences detailed in the following pages 
may in some degree fulfill this need, and aid 
some one to avoid the mistakes we made. 



CHAPTER II. 



GATHERING INFORMATION. 

From magazine articles we gathered that a new 
boat would cost about $i,ooo. We were assured, 
however, that we could buy an old one that would 
answer all needs for about $ioo. We were told 
that if the boat measures 15 tons or more our 
rapidly-becoming-paternal government requires 
the services of a licensed pilot. All steamers are 
required to have licensed engineers, though the 
requirements for an owner's license are not very 
rigid. Gasoline boats as yet do not come under 
any laws, though there is talk of legislation upon 
them, and there may be, by the time this book 
reaches its readers. 

Houseboats usually have no direct power, but 
are gently propelled by long sweeps. If the boat 
is small this is all right; but as large a boat as 
ours would require about four strong men to 
hold her steady in dangerous places. It takes a 
much smaller investment if power is excluded; 
and if the boat goes only down stream, with 



lO THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

force enough to manage her in currents and 
blows it is cheaper to hire towage when requisite. 
But if possible have power, and enough. Many 
boats we saw in the Mississippi are fitted with 
stern wheels and gasoline engines, and these 
have great advantages. In cold weather the en- 
gineer is protected, and can run in and get warm, 
while if in a towing boat he may suffer. The 
expense is less, as there is the hull of the tow- 
boat to buy when separate. The motion com- 
municated to the cabin by an attached engine is 
soon forgotten. You should not calculate in sell- 
ing either cabin, engine or towboat when ready 
to leave for the north, as prices in the south are 
uncertain ; and if you have not invested in power 
you lose that much less if you desert your outfit. 
Between steam and gasoline as power there is 
much to be said. With steam you require a 
license, it is dirty, more dangerous, takes time 
to get up steam, and care to keep it up. But you 
can always pick up wood along shore, though an 
engine of any size burns up a whole lot, and it 
takes so much time to collect, cut and saw the 
wood, and to dry it, that if you are paying a 
crew their time makes it costly. Low down the 



GATHERING INFORMATION. 1 1 

river, in times of low water, coal is to be gath- 
ered from the sand bars; but this cannot be 
counted upon as a regular supply. But you can 
always get fuel for a wood-burning engine, and 
if you contemplate trips beyond civilization it 
may be impossible to obtain gasoline. 

Gasoline boats are cleaner, safer, always ready 
to start by turning a few buttons, and cheaper, if 
you have to buy your fuel. If you are going be- 
yond the reach of ordinary supplies you may run 
out, and then your power is useless ; but in such 
cases you must use foresight and lay in a supply 
enough for emergencies. 

Both varieties of engines are liable to get out 
of order, and require that there shall be some- 
one in charge who understands their mechanism 
and can find and remedy the difficulty. Our own 
preference in Mississippi navigation is unques- 
tionably for the gasoline. If we go to the West 
Indies or the Amazon we will employ steam. 
Were we contemplating a prolonged life on a 
boat, or a trading trip, we would have the power 
attached to the cabin boat ; and the saved cost of 
the hull of a towboat would buy a small gasoline 
cutter — perhaps $150 — which could be used as a 



12 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

tender. But when you get power, get enough. It 
saves more in tow bills than the cost of the 
engine; and if it is advisable to bring the outfit 
back to the north full power saves a great loss. 
Quod est demonstrandum in the course of this 
narrative. 



CHAPTER III. 



PEEPAEATIONS. 

Our search for a second-hand houseboat was 
not very productive. At Chicago the choice lay 
between three, and of these we naturally chose the 
worst. It was the old Jackson Park boat, that 
after long service had finally become so complete- 
ly watersoaked that she sank at her moorings ; 
but this we learned later. In fact, as in many 
instances, our foresight was far inferior to our 
hindsight — and that is why we are giving our 
experiences exactly as they occurred, so that 
readers may avoid our mistakes. 

This houseboat was purchased for $200, the 
vendor warranting her as sound and safe, in 
every way fit and suitable for the trip contem- 
plated. He even said she had been through the 
canal as far as the Illinois river, so there was no 
danger but that she could pass the locks. The 
cabin measured 24 x 14.3 x 7 feet ; and there was 
a six-foot open deck in front, three feet behind, 
and two feet on either side, making her width 18 
feet 3 inches. One end of the cabin was parti- 

13 



14 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

tioned off, making two staterooms and a kitchen, 
each 7 feet in depth. The rest formed one large 
room. It was well lighted, with 14 windows ; 
and had doors in each side and two at the front 
opening into the kitchen and one stateroom. The 
roof was formed of two thicknesses of wood and 
over this a canvas cover, thickly painted. 

The staterooms were fitted with wire mattress 
frames, arranged to be folded against the sides 
when not in use for beds. In the large room we 
placed an iron double bed and two single ones, 
shielded from view by a curtain. There was a 
stove capable of burning any sort of fuel ; two 
bookcases, dining table, work table, dresser, 
chairs, sewing machine, sewing table, etc. We 
had a canvas awning made with stanchions to go 
on the top, but this we never used, finding it 
pleasanter to sit on the front deck. 

Among the equipment were the following: A 
canoe with oars and paddle, 50-lb. anchor, 75 
feet %-inch rope, 75 feet i-inch rope, 100 feet 
^-inch rope, boat pump, dinner horn, 6 life pre- 
servers, 2 boathooks, 2 hammocks, 4 cots, Pur- 
itan water still, small tripoli filter, a tube of 
chemical powder fire extinguisher, large and 



PREPARATIONS. 1 5 

small axes, hatchet, brace and bits, saws, saw- 
buck, tool-box well furnished, soldering set, re- 
pair kit, paper napkins, mattresses, bedding, 
towels, and a liberal supply of old clothes, over 
and under. We had an Edison Home phono- 
graph and about 50 records ; and this was a use- 
ful addition. But many articles we took were 
only in the way, and we shall not mention them. 
We had a full supply of fishing material, frog 
spears, minnow seine, minnow trap, railroad 
lantern, tubular searchlight with bull's-eye re- 
flector, electric flashlight with extra batteries, 
twine, trotline, revolver and cartridges, 50-gauge 
Spencer for big game, and as a second gun, with 
150 cartridges ; 32-H. P. S. Marlin rifle, with 400 
cartridges; Winchester 12-gauge pump, with 
2,000 shells ; Browning automatic shotgun ; fold- 
ing decoys, 4 shell bags, McMillan shell ex- 
tractor, U. S. Gov't rifle cleaner, Marlin gun 
grease, grass suit, shooting clothes heavy and 
light, hip boots, leggings, sweaters, chamois vest, 
mosquito hats, two cameras with supplies, in- 
cluding developers, compass (pocket), copper 
wire, whetstone, can opener and corkscrew, cof- 
fee pot to screw to wall, matches in waterproof 



l6 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

box, a Lehman footwarmer and two Japanese 
muff stoves, with fuel. For the kitchen we got 
a gasoline stove with an oven. There was a good 
kerosene lamp, giving sufficient light to allow all 
hands to read about the table; also three lamps 
with brackets for the small rooms. 

In preparing our lists of supplies we derived 
great assistance from Buzzacott's "Complete 
Camper's Manual." It was a mistake to buy so 
many shot-gun shells. All along the river we 
found it easy to get 12-gauge shells, better than 
those we had. 

The boy rejoiced in a 20-gauge single barrel. 
We had so much trouble in getting ammunition 
for it that we purchased a reloading outfit and 
materials at i^ntoine's. This little gun was very 
useful, especially when we wanted little birHs. 

A full supply of medicines went along, mainly 
in alkaloidal granules, which economize space 
and give extra efficiency and many other advan- 
tages. A pocket surgical case, a few of the in- 
struments most likely tO' be needed, surgical 
dressings, quinidine (which is the best preventive 
of malaria among the cinchona derivatives), in- 
sect powder, sulphur for fumigation, potassium 



PREPARATIONS. 1 7 

permanganate for the water, petrolatum, absorb- 
ent cotton, a magnifying glass to facilitate re- 
moval of splinters, extra glasses for those wear- 
ing them ; and a little whisky, which was, I be- 
lieve, never opened on the entire trip. 

The boy was presented with a shell belt; and 
a week before starting we found he was sleeping 
with the belt on, filled with loaded shells. Say, 
tired and listless brethren, don't you envy him? 
Wouldn't you like to enjoy the anticipation of 
such a pleasure that much? 

Among the things that were useful we may 
add a game and shell carrier, a Marble axe with 
sheath, and a Val de Weese hunter's knife. After 
serving their time these made acceptable presents 
to some kindly folk who had done much to make 
our stay at Melville pleasant. 

We fitted out our table and kitchen from the 
cast offs of our home, taking things we would 
not miss were we to leave them with the boat 
when through with her. It matters little that 
you will find the most complete lists wanting in 
important particulars, for ample opportunity is 
given to add necessaries at the first town. But 
the Missis insisted on taking a full supply of 



l8 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

provisions, and we were very glad she did. Buz- 
zacott gives a list of necessaries for a party of 
five men camping five days. It seems liberal, 
when added to the produce of rod and gun. 

20 lbs. self-raising flour. 

6 lbs. fresh biscuit. 

6 lbs. corn meal. 

6 lbs. navy beans. 

3 lbs. rice. 

5 lbs. salt pork. 

5 lbs. bacon. 
10 lbs. ham. 

15 lbs. potatoes. 

6 lbs. onions. 

3 lbs. can butter. 

3 lbs. dried fruits. 

i^ gallon vinegar pickles. 

^ gallon preserves. 

I qt. syrup. 

I box pepper. 

I box mustard. 

6 lbs. cofifee. 

6 lbs. sugar. 

Vi lb. tea. 



PREPARATIONS. 1 9 

Yz lb. baking powder. 

4 cans milk and cream. 

I sack salt. 

6 boxes matches (tin case). 

I lb. soap. 

I lb. corn starch. 

I lb. candles. 

I jar cheese. 

I. box ginger. 

I box allspice. 

I lb. currants. 

I lb. raisins. 

6 boxes sardines. 

I screwtop flask. 

Fresh bread, meat, sausage, eggs for first days. 

The wife laid in her stock of provisions, cost- 
ing about sixty dollars and including the articles 
we use generally. 

Among the books we found that seemed likely 
to provide some useful information are : 

Trapper Jim — Sandys. 

Last of the Flatboats — Eggleston. 

Houseboat series — Castlemon. 

Bonaventure — Cable. 



20 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

Down the Mississippi — Ellis. 

Down the Great River — Glazier. 

Four Months in a Sneak Box — Bishop. 

The Wild-Fowlers— Bradford. 

The Mississippi — Greene. 

The Gulf and Inland Waters— Mahan. 

The Blockade and the Cruisers — Soley. 

The History of Our Navy — Spears. 

In the Louisiana Lowlands — Mather. 

Hitting and Missing with the Shotgun — 

Hammond. 
Among the Waterfowl — Job. 
Up the North Branch — Farrar. 
Botanist and Florist — Wood. 
The Mushroom Book — Marshall. 
Wild Sports in the South— Whitehead. 
Cooper's Novels. 
Catalog from Montgomery Ward's mail 

order house. 
And a good supply of other novels, besides 

the children's schoolbooks. 

By writing to the U. S. port office at St. Louis 

tve secured a list of the lights on the Western 

rivers, a bit antique, but quite useful. From 

Kand & McNallv we also obtained a chart of the 



PREPARATIONS. 21 

Mississippi River from St. Louis to the Gulf, 
which was invakiable. The Desplaines had a lot 
of separate charts obtained from the St. Louis 
port officers, which were larger and easier to 
decipher. 

The question of motive power was one on 
which we received so much and such contradic- 
tory advice that we were bewildered. It seemed 
preferable to have the power in a tender, so that 
if we were moored anywhere and wished to send 
for mail, supplies or aid, the tender could be so 
dispatched without having to tow the heavy cabin 
boat. So we purchased a small gasoline boat 
with a two-horse-power engine. At the last 
moment, however, Jim persuaded us to exchange 
it for a larger one, a 20-footer, with three-horse- 
power Fay & Bowen engine. In getting a small 
boat see that it is a "water cooler," as an air- 
cooler will run a few minutes and stop, as the 
piston swells. Also see that she is fitted with 
reversing gear. Not all boats are. This was a 
fine sea boat, the engine very fast, and she was 
well worth the $365 paid for her. 

The crew of the "Helen W. of Chicago," con- 
sisted of the Doctor, the Missis, the Boy (aged 



22 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

ii), Miss Higgles (aged lo), Millie the house- 
keeper, Jim and J. J. We should have had two 
dogs, little and big; and next time they go in as 
an essential part of the crew. 

We carried far too many things, especially 
clothes. The most comfortable proved to be 
flannel shirt or sweater, blue cloth cap, tennis 
shoes, knickerbockers, long wool stockings, and 
a cheap canvas hunting suit that would bear dirt 
and wet. Knicks attract too much attention out- 
side the city. One good suit will do for visiting 
in the cities. 



CHAPTER IV. 



THE FIRST SHIPWRECK. 

OtiR first experience in shipwrecks came early. 
We were all ready to start ; the home had been 
rented, furniture disposed of, the outfit ordered, 
and the boat lay ready for occupancy, fresh and 
clean in new paint — when we discovered that we 
had to go through the old canal — the Illinois 
and Michigan — to La Salle, instead of the drain- 
age ditch, on which we were aware that Chicago 
had spent many millions more than drainage de- 
manded, with the ulterior object of making a 
deep waterway between the great city and the 
Gulf ! Here was an anxious thought — would the 
old canal admit our boat ? We visited headquar- 
ters, but naturally no one there knew anything 
about so essential a matter. We went down to 
the first lock at Bridgeport, and the lockmaster 
telephoned to Lockport, but the Chief Engineer 
was out and no one else knew the width of the 
locks. But finally we met an old seafarer who 
carried in his pocket a list of all the locks of all 

23 



24 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

the canals in the U. S., inckiding Canada ; and 
from him we got the decisive information that 
the narrowest lock admitted boats with a max- 
imnm width of 17 feet. Ours measured 18 feet 
3 inches ! 

After prolonged consultation it was deter- 
mined that the only way out was to cut off 
enough of the side to admit her. So the pur- 
veyor, who had guaranteed the boat as fit in 
every way for the trip, began to cut, first build- 
ing an inner wall or side with two-by-fours. Get- 
ting this up to a convenient height he concluded 
to try for leaks, and slid the scow back into the 
water with the side half up. It was just an inch 
too low; and when he rose next morning the 
scow reposed peacefully on the bottom of the 
river, the water having, in the night, come in at 
the low side. The following week was consumed 
in endeavors to raise the boat and get the water 
out. Meanwhile we were camping out in an 
empty house, eating off the kitchen table, sleep- 
ing anywhere, and putting in spare time hurry- 
ing the very deliberate boatmen. 

Just then we received from the Sanitary Dis- 
trict folks the belated information that the locks 



THE FIRST SHIPWRECK. 25 

are i8 feet wide, and no feet long, and that the 
height of the boat from the water Hne must not 
exceed 17 feet to enable it to pass under bridges. 
For nearh^ a week various means of raising 
the craft were tried, without success. Finally 
the wind shifted during the night, and in the 
morning we found the upper margin of the hull 
out of water. The pumps were put in operation 
and by noon the boat was free from water. It 
was found to be reasonably watertight, despite 
the straining by jacks, levers, windlasses, and 
other means employed to raise first one corner 
and then another, the breaking of ropes and 
planks by which the corners had been violently 
dropped, etc. But the absence of flotation, as 
evidenced by the difficulty of raising an unload- 
ed boat, wholly constructed of wood, should have 
opened our eyes to her character. 

The side was rapidly completed, the furniture 
and stores brought abroad, and the boats started 
down the canal, while the Doctor and Missis went 
to Joliet to meet the outfit and avoid the odors of 
the drainage. The men ran all night and reached 
Lock No. 5, at Joliet, about 5 p. m., Wednesday, 
Sept. 30, 1903. This was altogether unnecessary, 



26 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

and we might as well have come down on the 
boat. Meanwhile we found a shelter in a little 
bakery near the Joliet bridge, where the kindly 
folk took care of the little invalid while we 
watched for the arrival of the boats. 



CHAPTER V. 



THE CANAL. 

That night was our first on board. We found 
the boat piled high with the "necessaries" deemed 
imperative by the Missis. Days were spent in 
the arrangement of these, and in heaving over- 
board articles whose value was more than coun- 
terbalanced by the space they occupied. Hooks 
were inserted, trunks unpacked, curtains hung, 
and it is safe to say that our first week was thus 
occupied. The single beds were taken down and 
the children put to sleep on cots consisting of 
strips of canvas with eye-holes at the corners. 
These were fastened to stout hooks, screwed in- 
to the walls. Difficulty supervened in finding a 
place to fasten the outer ends, and we had to run 
ropes across the cabin, to our great annoyance 
when rising during the night. Otherwise these 
are the best of cots, as they can be taken down 
and rolled away during the day. 

The delight of those days, drifting lazily down 
the old canal, the lovely vistas with long rows of 



28 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

elms along the deserted towpath, the quiet farms, 
'sometimes it was showery, at others shiny, but 
we scarcely noticed the difference. It is surely 
a lazy man's paradise. There is no current in the 
canal, and the launch could only drag the heavy 
scow along at about a mile and a half an hour; 
while but little wind sufficed to seriously retard 
all progress. Even with our reduced width it 
was all we could do to squeeze through the locks, 
which are smaller toward the bottom. At No. 5 
we only got through after repeated trials, when 
the lock-keeper opened the upper gates and let 
m a flood of water, after the lower had been 
opened, and the boat worked down as close as 
possible to the lower gate. And here let us say 
a word as to the uniform courtesy we received 
from these canal officials ; something we were 
scarcely prepared to expect after our experience 
with the minor official of the city. Without an 
exception we found the canal officials at their 
posts, ready to do their duty in a courteous, 
obliging manner. 

Friday, Oct. 2, we reached Lock 8 just at dusk, 
passing down as a string of three canal boats 
passed up for Chicago, laden with corn. We 



THE CANAL. 29 

are surprised at the number of boats engaged in 
this traffic; as we had thought the canal obso- 
lete, judging from the caricatures in the daily 
papers. Coal was passing down and corn and 
wood up. During this day 12 laden boats went 
by us. 

Saturday, Oct. 3. — Head winds blew the boat 
about, to the distraction of the crew. We tried 
towing, with a line along the towpath, and the 
boat banged against the bank constantly. But 
the weather was lovely and clear, everyone happy 
and the interior economy getting in order. It 
was well the wise little Missis insisted on bring- 
ing a full supply of provisions, for we have not 
passed a town or a store since leaving Joliet, and 
we would have fared poorly but for her fore- 
thought. We stopped at a farm, where we se- 
cured some milk for which we, with difficulty, 
persuaded the farmer to accept a nickel — for a 
gallon. He said milk was not so precious as in 
the city. But at Lock 8 the keeper's wife was 
alive to her opportunities and charged us city 
prices. 

'We were well pleased with our crew. Jim is 
a guide from Swan Lake, aged 24; fisher, hunter, 



30 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

trapper and boatman all his life. J. J. is a base 
ball player and athlete about the same age. Both 
volunteered for the trip, for the pleasure of it. 
They asked to go for nothing, but we do not care 
to make such an arrangement, which never works 
well and leads to disagreements and desertions 
when the novelty has worn off ; so we paid them 
wages. During the months they were with us 
we never asked them to do a thing they did not 
willingly do, nor was there ever a complaint of 
them in the score of behavior, lack of respect for 
the ladies, language before the children, or any 
of those things that might have led to unpleas- 
antness had they not been gentlemen by instinct 
and training. They are built of muscle and steel 
springs, never shirk work, have good, healthy 
appetites and are always ready to meet any of the 
various requirements of the trip. Everything 
comes handy to them. They put the boat in 
shape, run the engine, do carpentry and any other 
trade that is needed. It was hard to guide the 
unwieldy boat so they designed a rudder, went to 
town for material, hunted up a blacksmith and 
showed him what they wanted, and put the rud- 
der together and hung it in good shape. It has 



THE CANAL. 3I 

a tiller up on the roof, whence the steersman can 
see ahead. 

We secured some food at Morris, with diffi- 
culty. By noon the rudder was hung and we 
were ofif for Seneca, the boy happy in charge of 
the tiller. We wish, we were a word painter, to 
describe the beauty of the scenery along the 
canal. The water has lost all reminiscence of 
Chicago's drainage. At 3 p. m. we stopped at a 
farm and obtained milk, eggs and chickens, with 
half a bushel of apples for good measure. The 
boat excites much interest among the farmers. At 
Morris we had our first call upon the drugs, the 
boys finding a friend whose horse had a suppu- 
rating wound. Dressed it with antiseptics and 
left a supply. We each took two grains of 
quinine, to ward ofif possible malaria. Millie 
suffered serious discomfort, her whole body 
breaking out, with itching and flushing, lasting 
some hours. And this was about the only time 
we took quinine during the trip, except when 
wet, to prevent a cold. We never saw anything 
like malaria. 

After tea we had a delightful run by moon- 
light, stopping several miles from Seneca. It is 



^2 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

a good rule to stop before coming to a town, as 
the loafers do not get sight of the boat until it 
comes in next morning. 

On Monday we ran into Seneca, and stopped 
for supplies. We always needed something, 
ample as we thought our outfit. It is always 
ice, milk, eggs, butter, or fruit. Here it is gaso- 
line, on which we depend for our motive power. 

It is useless to look for the picturesque in the 
Illinois farmer. He speaks the language of the 
schools, with the accent of culture, and wears 
his hair and whiskers in modern style. Probably 
he hears more lectures, sees more operatic and 
histrionic stars, reads more books and gets more 
out of his newspapers than does the city man. In 
fact, there is no country now ; the whole State is 
merely a series of suburbs. 

During the afternoon we reached Marseilles, 
where we tied up for the night. We obtained a 
gallon of milk here, and a can of gasoline. A 
neighboring well supplied artesian water, which 
tasted too much of sulphur for palates accus- 
tomed to Chicago water. In fact, we now hear 
that there is no such water as that of the great 
lake metropolis. 



THE CANAL. 33 

Tuesday, Oct. 6, we left Marseilles with a 
favoring breeze. Our craft sails best with the 
wind about two points abaft the beam. When it 
shifts to two points forward we are driven 
against the shore. We had hard work to reach 
the viaduct over the Fox river. At 2 p. m. we 
reached Ottawa, and there replenished our gaso- 
line barrel. Hinc illae lachrymae. At Seneca 
and Marseilles we had been able to obtain only 
five gallons each, and that of the grade used for 
stoves. We also learned that we might have 
saved three dollars in lock fees, as below La 
Salle the water is so high that the dams are out 
of sight and steamers pass over them. The reg- 
istry and lock fees from Chicago to St. Louis 
are $6.88. 

We had now passed ten locks with safety, but 
the captain of the Lulu tells us the next is the 
worst of all. 

It is evident that our boat is not fit for this 
expedition, and we must take the first opportu- 
nity to exchange her for one with a larger and 
stronger scow, to cope with the dangers of the 
great river. The scow should stand well up from 
the water so that the waves will not come over 



34 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

the deck. Every morning and night there is over 
a barrel of water to be pumped out, but that 
might be remedied by calking. 

Near Marseilles we passed a number of house- 
boats, and hear that many are being prepared for 
the trip to St. Louis next summer. Berths along 
the river front there are now being secured. 

Among our useful supplies is a portable rub- 
ber folding bath tub. It works well now, but I 
am doubtful as to its wearing qualities. The 
water-still is all right when we have a wood or 
coal fire going, but when run by a gasoline stove 
it distils nearly as much water as it burns gaso- 
line. 



Wednesday. — We came in sight of the lock 
below Ottawa about 5 p. m. last night, and tied 
up. All night the wind blew hard and rattled 
the stores on the roof. Rain comes is around the 
stovepipe, in spite of cement. This morning it is 
still raining but the wind has fallen. A rain- 
coat comes in handy. We must add oilskins to 
our outfit. A little fire goes well these damp 
mornings, taking off the chill and drying out the 
cabin. Fuel is the cheapest thing yet. We pick 



THE CANAL. 35 

Up a few sticks every day, enough for the morn- 
ing fire, and could load the boat with wood, if 
worth while. And there is no better exercise 
for the chest than sawing wood. We keep a 
small pile behind the stove to have it dry. 

The gasoline launch is a jewel — exactly what 
we need ; and works in a way to win the respect 
of all. The boys got wire rope for steering, as 
the hemp stretched ; but the wire soon wore 
through. 

Thirty cents a pound for creamery butter at 
Ottawa. We must rely on the farms. 

Whence come the flies? The ceiling is black 
with them. We talk of fumigating with sulphur. 
The cabin is screened, but whenever the door is 
opened they come streaming in. The little wire 
flv-killer is a prime necessity. It is a wire broom 
six inches long and as wide, with a handle ; and 
gets the fly every time. Burning insect powder 
gets rid of mosquitoes, but has no effect on flies. 

A string of canal boats passed up this morn- 
ing, the first we have seen since leaving Seneca. 
The traffic seems to be much lighter in the lower 
part of the canal. 



36 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

The canal official at Ottawa seems to be some- 
thing of a joker. A dog boarded our craft there 
and this man informed us it had no owner, so we 
allowed the animal to accompany us. But further 
down the line the dog's owner telephoned dire 
threats after us, and we sent him back from La 
Salle. 

After lunch we tackled Lock No. 11, and a 
terror it was. The walls were so dilapidated 
that care had to be exercised to keep the edges 
of the scow and roof from catching. Then the 
roof caught on the left front and the bottom on 
the right rear, and it was only at the fourth trial, 
when we had worked the boat as far forward as 
possible, that we managed to scrape through. 
The wind was still very brisk and dead ahead, so 
we tied up just below the lock. A steam launch, 
the Lorain, passed through bound down. She 
filled the lock with smoke, and we realized how 
much gasoline excels steam in cleanliness. A 
foraging expedition secured a quart of milk and 
four dozen eggs, with the promise of spring 
chickens when their supper afforded a chance to 
catch them. 



THE CANAL. 37 

Thursday, Oct. 8, 1903. — All night we were 
held by the fierce wind against which we were 
powerless. The squeeze in the lock increased the 
leakage and this morning it took quite a lot of 
pumping to free the hull of water. After break- 
fast we set out, and found Lock 12 much better 
than its predecessor. All afternoon the wind 
continued dead ahead, and the towing rope and 
poles were, required to make even slight head- 
way. Then we passed under a low bridge, and 
the stovepipe fell down. If we do not reach a 
town we will be cold tonight. Two small 
launches passed us, going to La Salle, where 
there is some sort of function on. 

The children's lessons go on daily; with the 
girl because she is a girl and therefore tractable, 
wath the boy because he can not get out till they 
are learned. 



Friday, Oct. 9. — We lay in 'the canal all day 
yesterday, the folks fishing for catfish. Our for- 
aging was unsuccessful, the nearest house con- 
taining a delegation of Chicago boys — 17 of 
them — sent out by a West Side church, who took 
all the milk of the place. The boy fell in the 



38 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

canal and was promptly rescued by J. J., who is 
an expert swimmer. His mother was excited, 
but not frightened. After tea, as the wind had 
fallen, we used the launch for two hours to get 
through the most of the 'Svide water," so as to 
have the protection of the high banks next day. 
The lights of a large town — electric — are visible 
below. Very little water that evening, not a 
fourth what we pumped in the morning. 

On Friday morning the water is smooth and 
we hope to make La Salle today. 

And then the gasoline engine stopped ! 

It had done good service so far, but there was 
a defect in it : a cup for holding lubricating oil 
that had a hole in it. Curious for a new engine, 
and some of the crew were unkind enough to 
suggest that the seller had taken off the new cup 
and put on a broken one from his old boat. All 
day we worked with it, till at lunch time it con- 
sented to go; and then our old enemy, the west 
wind, came up, but less violent than before, so 
that we made several miles before the engine 
again quit. We were well through the wide 
water, and tied up in a lovely spot, where some- 
one had been picnicking during the morning. The 



THE CANAL. 39 

boys towed the launch to Utica with the canoe, 
while we secured some milk at a Swede's near 
by, and a jar of honey from another house. 



Saturday, Oct. lo, 1903. — At 7 p. m. the boys 
returned with a little steam launch they had hired 
for six dollars to tow us the eight miles to La 
Salle. Lock No. 13 was true to its hoodoo, and 
gave us some trouble. About midnight we tied 
up just above Lock 14, which looks dubious this 
morning. We missed some fine scenery during 
the night, but are tired of the canal and glad to 
be near its end. A Street Fair is going on here, 
and the streets are full of booths. Jim says J. J. 
will throw a few balls at the "nigger babies," 
and then write home how he ''missed the chil- 
dren !" These things indicate that he is enjoying 
his meals. 

Not much water today in the hold. Temp. 39 
at 7 a. m. 



CHAPTER VI. 



THE ILLINOIS RIVER. 

Monday, Oct. 12, 1903. — We passed Locks 14 
and 15 without difficulty and moored in the basin 
with a number of other houseboats. We find 
them very poHte and obliging, ready to give any 
information and assistance in their power. All 
hands took in the Street Fair, and aided in re- 
plenishing our constantly wasting stores. The 
boy drove a thriving" trade in minnows which he 
captured with the seine. In the afternoon Dr. 
Abbott came down, to our great pleasure. A 
man from the shop came and tinkered with the 
gasoline engine a few hours' worth, to no pur- 
pose. Several others volunteered advice which 
did not pan out. 

Sunday we lay quiet, until near noon, when 
the engineer of the government boat Fox most 
kindly pointed out the trouble, which was, as to 
be expected, a very simple one — the sparker was 
so arranged that the single explosion caught the 
piston at the wrong angle and there was no sec- 



THE ILLINOIS RIVER. 4I 

oncl explosion following. Then all hands went 
for a ride down into the Illinois river. Dr. 
Abbott g-ot off at 8:15 and the boys took a run 
up to Tiskilwa — for what reason we do not hear, 
but have our suspicions. We still recollect the 
days when we would travel at night over a five- 
mile road, lined with farms, each fully and over- 
provided with the meanest of dogs — so we ask 
no questions. 

This morning the temperature is 48, foggy ; all 
up for an early start. 

One undesirable acquisition we made here was 
a numerous colony of mice, which must have 
boarded us from a boat that lay alongside. The 
animals did much damage, ruining- a new dress 
and disturbing us at night with their scampering. 
Nor did we finally get rid of them until the boat 
sank — which is not a method to be recommended. 
Fumigation with sulphur, if liberally done, is 
about the best jemedy for any living pests. 



Tuesday, Oct. 13, finds us still tied up below 
La Salle. The fortune-teller kindly towed us to 
the mouth of the canal, where we spent the day 
tr}'ing to persuade the engine to work. After an 



42 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

expert from the shops here had put in the day 
over it, he announced that the fault lay with the 
gasoline bought at Ottawa. In truth our troubles 
date from that gasoline, and we hope he may be 
right. The engine he pronounces in perfect or- 
der. Nothing here to do, and the little Missis 
has a cold and is getting impatient to be going. 
So far we have met none but friendly and honest 
folks along the canal, all anxious to be neighbor- 
ly and do what they can to aid us. All hands are 
discouraged with the delay and trouble with the 
engine — all, that is, except one old man, who has 
been bufifeted about the. world enough to realize 
that some share of bad luck must enter every 
human life, and who rather welcomes what 
comes because it might have been so much worse. 
Come to think of it, we usually expect from Fate 
a whole lot more than we deserve. What are we 
that we should look for an uninterrupted career 
of prosperity? Is it natural? Is it the usual lot 
of man? What are we that we should expect 
our own lot to be such an exceptional career of 
good fortune? Think of our deserts, and what 
some men suffer, and humbly thank the good 
Lord that we are let off so easilv. 



THE ILLINOIS RIVER. 43 

If that is not good philosophy we can answer 
for its helping us a whole lot to bear what ills 
come our way. 

We got off early and began our first day's 
floating. It was quite pleasant, much more so 
than lying idle. The Fox came along and rocked 
us a bit, but not unpleasantly. We tied up below 
the bridge at Spring Valley, and the boys went 
up to town, where they succeeded in getting five 
gallons of gasoline, grade 88. After lunch we 
pumped out the old stuff and put in the new and 
the little engine started off as if there had never 
been a disagreement. At 4 p. m. we are still 
going beautifully, passed Marquette, and all 
happy. But if the man who sold us low-grade 
gasoline at Ottawa, for high, were in reach he 
might hear something he would not like. 

At night we tied up a mile above Hennepin, 
where we obtained some milk and a few eggs at 
a farm house. 



Wednesday, Oct. 14, 1903. — Yesterday we 
passed the opening of the Hennepin canal, that 
monument of official corruption, which after the 
expenditure of fifty millions is not yet ready for 



44 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

use — the locks not even built. Compare with the 
work done on the Drainage Canal, and we con- 
clude Chicago is not so very bad. At Hennepin 
this morning we secured three gallons of gas- 
oline at 74, the best available ; also fresh beef, for 
which we are all hungry. Left at 9 a. m. for 
Henry. 

During the preceding night the Fred Swain 
passed down and bumped us against the rocky 
shore harder than at any time previously. Next 
morning there was less water in the hull than 
ever before, so it seems to have tightened her 
seams. We ran inlo the creek above Henry and 
moored at the landing of the Swan River Club, 
where Jim's father resides. Here we lay for 
several weeks, for reasons that wall appear. Mil- 
lie kindly varied the monotony and added to the 
general gaiety by tumbling into the creek ; but as 
the water was only about three feet deep no 
serious danger resulted. The boys usually dis- 
appeared at bedtime and talked mysteriously of 
Tiskilwa next morning, and appeared sleepy. We 
examined several boats that were for sale, but 
did not find any that suited us. We wished to 
feel perfectly safe, no matter what we might en- 



THE ILLINOIS RIVER. 45 

counter on the great river. Some one has been 
trying to scare the boys with tales of the whirl- 
pools to be encountered there ; and of the waves 
that will wash over the deck. These we after- 
ward found to be unfounded. No whirlpool we 
saw would endanger anything larger than a 
canoe, and our two-strake gunwales were high 
enough for any waves on the river. 

We found few ducks ; not enough to repay one 
for the trouble of going out after them. Until 
we left Henry we caught a few fish, but not 
enough to satisfy our needs. 



CHAPTER VII. 



BUILDING THE BOAT. 

November i, 1903. — We had settled that the 
scow was not strong enough for the river voyage, 
and she kindly confirmed this view by quietly sink- 
ing as she was moored in the creek. There was no 
accident — the timbers separated from decay. We 
were awaked by the sound of water running as 
if poured from a very large pitcher; jumped up, 
ran to the stern of the boat, and saw that the 
rudder, which was usually six inches above water, 
was then below it. We awoke the family and 
hastily removed the articles in the outer end of 
the boat to the end resting on shore, and sum- 
moned the boys. It was just getting towards 
dawn. By the time this was done the lower end 
of the cabin floor was covered with water. Had 
this happened while we were in the river the 
consequences would have been serious. 



Jim's father, Frank Wood, went to Peoria and 
selected materials for the new scow. The sides 



BUILDING THE BOAT. 



47 



are technically termed gunwales — ''gunnels" — 
and should be of solid three-inch plank. But we 
found it might take six months to get three-inch 
plank forty feet long, so we had to splice. He 
got eight plank, 22 to 24 feet long. Two of 
these were spliced in the center for the lower 
strake, and one long one placed in the center 
above, with half a length at each end. This pre- 
vented both splices coming together. The plank 
were sawed in a Z shape. Holes were then bored 
through both plank at intervals of four feet, and 
half-inch iron braces driven through and screwed 
firmly together. The ends were then sawn for 
the sloping projections. 

Through the middle, from end to end, was 
set a six-by-six timber, and on each side midway 
between this and the gunwales ran a three-by- 
six. Then the two-inch plank were nailed firmly 
to the gunwales and intermediate braces, each 
with twenty-three 60- and 40-penny nails. We 
find a strong prejudice against wire nails, these 
fishers and boatbuilders preferring the old-fash- 
ioned square nails when they fan get them. They 
say the wire is more apt to rust ; but this may be 
simply the conservatism that always meets an in- 



48 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

novation. The cheapness of the wire is an item. 

The plank were placed as closely together as 
possible. Here a difficulty arose, as they were 
warped, so that when one end was laid close, the 
other was an inch from its fellow. But this did 
not bother our men. They put a triangular block 
up to the refractory end, nailed it firmly to the 
beam underneath, and drove wedges between till 
the crooked plank was forced as nearly straight 
as possible — or as prudent, for too great a strain 
would be followed by warping. 

When all the planks were nailed on, two coats 
of tar and rosin were applied, and next day the 
boat was turned over. It was brought down till 
one side was in two feet of water, then the upper 
side was hoisted by blocks and tackles applied on 
upright timbers, till nearly upright, when the men 
pushed it over with big poles. She had first been 
braced carefully with an eight-by-eight across 
the middle, and by a number of other timbers. 
The eight-by-eight was broken and the middle of 
the boat forced up six inches by the shock, re- 
quiring the services of a jack to press it down to 
its place. 

What fine workers these men are, and how 



BUILDING THE BOAT, 49 

silently they work, keeping at the big spikes hour 
after hour, driving every one with thought and 
care, and yet wasting no time. What use they 
make of a few simple mechanical aids — the lever, 
the wheel and screw, the jack, buck, etc. ; and 
they constantly use the square before sawing. 
Americans, every one of them ; and not a drop of 
beer or whisky seen about the work, from first to 
last. 

The seams in the gunwales were caulked with 
hemp and payed with white lead, before the boat 
was turned. Then they went over the inside and 
wherever a trickle of water appeared they stuffed 
in cotton. 

The scow is 40 feet long and 16 feet wide. 
Over the gunwales were laid four-by-fours, 18 
feet long, and spiked down. Then supports were 
placed under these and toenailed to the three 
inner braces, and to the four-by-fours. A two- 
foot projection was made at each end, making 
the floor 44 feet long. The flooring is of Georgia 
pine, tongued and grooved. 

The lumber cost, including freight from Peo- 
ria to Henr}^, about $100; the work about fifty 
more. There were over 100 pounds of nails used. 



50 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

50 pounds of white lead in filling cracks, and sev- 
eral hundred pounds of tar on the bottom. 

The gunwales are of Oregon fir, straight and 
knotless. It would not add to the strength to 
have them of oak, as they are amply able to with- 
stand any strain that can possibly be put on them 
in navigating even the greatest of rivers. Oak 
would, however, add largely to the weight, and 
if we were pounding upon a snag this would add 
to the danger. As it was, we many times had 
this experience, and felt the comfort of knowing 
that a sound, well-braced, nailed and in every 
way secure hull was under us. The planking 
was of white pine, the four-by-fours on which 
the deck rested of Georgia pine. The cabin was 
of light wood, Oregon fir. When completed the 
hull formed a strong box, secure against any 
damage that could befall her. We cannot now 
conjure up any accident that could have injured 
her so as to endanger her crew. Were we to 
build another boat she should be like this one, 
but if larger we would have water-tight com- 
partments stretching across her, so that even if a 
plank were to be torn ofif the bottom she would 
still be safe. And we would go down to Henry 



BUILDING THE BOAT. 5 1 

to have "Abe" De Haas and "Frank" Wood and 
''Jack" Hurt build her. 

Some leakage continued for some weeks, till 

the seams had swelled completely shut, and she 

did not leak a drop during the whole of the 
cruise. 



During this time we continued to live in the 
cabin, the deck sloping so that it was difficult to 
walk without support. When the cabin was be- 
ing moved we availed ourselves of Mrs. Wood's 
courtesy and slept in her house one night. After 
the cabin had been moved off we took the old 
scow apart, and a terrible scene of rottenness was 
revealed. The men who saw it, fishermen and 
boatbuilders, said it was a case for the grand 
jury, that any man should send a family of women 
and little children afloat on such a boat. There 
was no sign of an accident. The water had re- 
ceded, leaving the shore end of the scow resting 
on the mud. This let down the stern a little. 
The new side was constructed of two-by-fours 
laid on their sides, one above the other, and to 
the ends were nailed the plank forming the bow 
and stern. Of these the wood was so rotten that 



52 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

the long sixty-penny spikes pulled out, leaving a 
triangular opening, the broad end up. As the 
stern of the boat sank the water ran in through a 
wider orifice and filled up the hull more and 
more rapidly. The danger lay in the absolute 
lack of flotation. New wood would have kept 
her afloat even when the hull was full of water, 
but her timbers were so completely watersoaked 
that the stout ropes broke in the attempt to raise 
her, even though with no load. 

Through the favor of Providence this occurred 
while we were moored in a shallow creek. Had 
it happened while in the deep river nothing could 
have saved us from drowning. As it was, we 
lost a good deal of canned goods and jelly, soap, 
flour, and other stores. But the most serious 
harm was that we were delayed by the necessity 
of building a new boat, so that we were caught 
in the November storms, and the exposure 
brought back the invalid's asthma ; so that the 
main object of the trip was practically lost. We 
are thus particular to specify the nature of the 
trouble, as the vendor of the boat has claimed 
that the acident was due to the inexperience of 
our crew. That this was a mistake must be evi- 



BUILDING THE BOAT. 53 

dent to even an inexperienced sailor, who reads 
this account. 

The old house on the sunken scow was cut 
loose and moved over onto the new one, and se- 
curely nailed down. An addition 8 feet square 
was added at the back for a storeroom, and the 
roof extended to the ends of the scow at both 
ends. This gives us a porch ii by i8 feet in 
front, and one lo by 8 behind, These are roofed 
with beaded siding and covered with the canvas 
we got for an awning, which we have decided we 
do not need. This is to be heavily painted as 
soon as we have time. 

The entire cost of the new boat, the additional 
room and roofs, labor and materials, was about 
$250; the old boat cost $200, but the cabin that 
w^e moved onto the new hull could not have been 
built and painted for that, so that there was no 
money loss on the purchase. The launch, with 
its engine, cost $365, so that the entire outfit 
stood us at $830, including $15 for a fine gun- 
ning skiff Jim got at Henry. The furniture is 
not included, as we took little but cast-offs ; nor 
the outfit of fishing and sporting goods. 

We must stop here to say a word as to the 



54 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

good people at Henry. Frank Wood and his fam- 
ily opened their house to us and furnished us 
milk and other supplies, for which we could not 
induce them to accept pay. Members of the 
Swan Lake Club placed at our disposal the con- 
veniences of their club house. During the time 
our boat was building our goods lay out under 
a tree with no protection, not even a dog, and not 
a thing was touched. These fishermen surely are 
of a race to be perpetuated. Mr. Grazier also 
allowed us to use his ferryboat while endeavor- 
ing to raise the sunken boat and to store goods, 
and Mrs. Hurt offered to accommodate part of 
our family on her houseboat while our cabin was 
being moved to the new scow. 



CHAPTER VIII. 



THE LOWER ILLINOIS. 

Saturday, Oct. 31, we bade adieu to the kind 
friends at Swan Lake, who had done so much to 
make us comfortable, and pulled down to Henry, 
passing the locks. Here we tied up till Sunday 
afternoon, the engine still giving trouble, and 
then set off. We passed Lacon pontoon bridge 
and town about 5 p. m., and three miles below tied 
up for the night. Next morning, the engine prov- 
ing still refractory, we floated down to the Chilli- 
cothe bridge, which was sighted about 11 a. m. 
This day was rainy and the new unpainted roof 
let in the water freely.. 

We waited at Chillicothe for the Fred Szvain 
to pass, and then swung down to the bank below 
town, where we tied up. A farm house stood 
near the bank, and as we tied up a woman came 
out and in a loud voice called to some one to 
lock the chicken-house, and rattled a chain, sug- 
gestively; from which we infer that houseboat 
people have not the best reputation. We played 



56 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

the phonograph that evening, and the household 
gathered on shore to Hsten ; so that we trust they 
slept somewhat securely. In the morning we 
bought some of the chickens we had had no 
chance to steal, and found the folks quite willing 
to deal with us. We had to wait for the Swain, 
as it was quite foggy and without the launch we 
could not have gotten out of her way. 

We drifted slowly down past Sand Point and 
The Circle lights, and tied up to a fallen tree, 
opposite the little village of Spring Bay. The 
boys were out of tobacco and had to row in for it. 
About 9 p. m. I heard shouts and then shots, and 
went out, to find a thick fog. They had lost 
their direction and it was only after some time 
and considerable shouting that they came near 
enough to see the lantern. We heard that the 
previous night the man who lights the channel 
lamps was out all night in the fog. 

Again we had to w^ait for the Szvain to pass, 
and then floated down past Blue Creek Point. 
Here we saw a houseboat tied up, which a fisher- 
man told us belonged to a wealthy old bachelor 
who lived there from choice. The current was 
slow as the river was wide, so about 2 p. m. v/e 



THE LOWER ILLINOIS. 57 

took a line from the good canal boat City of 
Henry, which for three dollars agreed to tow us 
to Peoria. This was faster traveling, but not a 
bit nice. However, it was necessary to get the 
engine in order, so we put up with it. We tied 
up above the upper bridge, with a nasty row of 
jagged piles between us and the shore. About 
5 a. m. a northeast gale sprang up and washed 
us against the piles, to our great danger. Our 
boys arranged a two-by-four, nailing it against 
the side, so that the end stuck into the sand and 
fended us off the piles, and our gangway plank 
served the same purpose at the other end. This 
is a most important matter, as the snags might 
loosen a plank from the bottom. 



Friday, Nov. 6, 1903. — At last we seem to 
have found a real expert on gasoline engines. 
Instead of guessing that '•mebbe" this or "mebbe" 
that was the matter, he went at it and soon found 
the difficulty. In a short time the boat was cir- 
cling 'round the lake at a most enticing rate. We 
laid in a new store of groceries and at 9 a, m. 
today set out. By lunch time we had passed 
Pekin, and are now heading for the locks at Cop- 



58 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

peras Creek, the engine going beautifully and the 
weather bright and cool. About Peoria we saw 
great numbers of houseboats, many in the water, 
but the aged members had climbed out upon the 
banks and perched among a wonderful array of 
shanties. One house seemed to be roosting 
among the branches of several large trees. Many 
were seen along the river below, some quite 
pretty, but none we fancied as well as our own. 



Friday, Nov. 8, 1903. — We were held back by 
head winds and stopped before we reached the 
lock. Saturday we had good weather and little 
wind, and reached Copperas Creek just after 
lunch. There were three feet of water on the 
dam, and even the Bald Eagle, the largest steam- 
er here, runs over it ; but as we had paid for the 
lock we went through it. The lock-keeper took 
it out of us, though, by charging 15 cents for two 
quarts of milk, the highest price paid yet. 

We got off this morning at 8:15, and although 
a heavy head wind prevails are making good 
time. Many loons are passing south, in large 
flights, and some ducks. The marshes on either 
side seem to be well supplied, but are club 



THE LOWER ILLINOIS. 59 

grounds, we are told. It is much warmer than 
yesterday, the south wind blowing strongly. We 
moored with the anchor out at the outer corner, 
up the river, and the line and gangway plank on 
shore, allowing about ten feet from boat to shore ; 
and when the Eva Alma and the Ebaugh passed 
us there was no bumping against the shore. Evi- 
dently that is the way to moor, though in the 
great river we must give more space and more 
cable to the anchor. 

At 10 a. m. we passed Liverpool, a hamlet of 
150 inhabitants, half of whom must reside in 
houseboats. Some of these were quite large and 
well built. 



We reached Havana about 4 p. m. Sunday, 
and as the south wind had become too fierce for 
our power we tied up below the bridge, at a fish- 
erman's shanty. Monday morning it looked like 
rain, and the wind blew harder than ever, so we 
lay by and the boys finished putting on the tar 
paper roofing. When the wind is strong enough 
to blow the boat up stream against the current, 
the launch will be unable to make head against 
it. A couple live in an old freight car by us, and 



60 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

their home is worth seeing. The sand bluff is 
dug out for a chicken cave and pig-pen, and 
beautiful chrysanthemums are growing in boxes 
and pans, placed so as to retain the earth that 
would otherwise wash away. Fruit trees are also 
planted, and the woman tells me that the whole 
place is filled with flowering plants, now covered 
with sand for the winter. We notice two dra- 
caenas. 



Tuesday, Nov. lo, 1903. — The storm lasted 
all day yesterday, pinioning us relentlessly to 
the beach. By 5 p. m. it let up, but we concluded 
to remain at our moorings till morning. This 
morning we got off at 7 a. m., and passed the 
Devil's Elbow lights before lunch. We did not 
tie up then, but threw out our anchor, which is 
less trouble and in every way better, as there is 
less danger of the snags that beset the shore. 
The air is rather cool for sitting outside but we 
spend much time there. The river is narrow- 
ing. Each little creek has a houseboat, or sev- 
eral, generally drawn up out of the water and 
out of reach of the ice. We saw a woman at 
one of the shabbiest shanty boats washing 



THE LOWER ILLINOIS. 6l 

clothes. She stooped down and swung the gar- 
ment to and fro in the water a ifew moments 
and then hung it up to dry. 

The shores are thickly dotted with little flags 
and squares of muslin, put up by the surveyors 
who are marking out the channel for the pro- 
posed deep waterway. These were few in the 
upper river. Every shallow is appropriated by 
some fisherman's nets, and at intervals a cleared 
space with sheds or fish boxes shows how im- 
portant are the fisheries of this river. 

There is a great deal of dispute along shore 
over the fishing rights. The submerging of 
thousands of acres of good land has greatly ex- 
tended the limits of what is legally navigable 
water. The fishermen claim the right to set 
their nets wherever a skiff or a sawlog can float ; 
but the owners think that since they bought the 
land from the Government and paid for it, and 
have paid taxes for forty years, they have some- 
thing more of rights than any outsider. If not, 
what did they buy? The right to set nets, they 
claim, would give the right to plant crops if the 
water receded. Eventually the courts will have 
to decide it; but if these lands are thrown open 



62 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

to the public, the Drainage Board will have a 
heavy bill of damages. For it seems clear that 
it is the canal which has raised the level of the 
water. 

Meanwhile the fishing is not profitable. The 
fish have so wide a range that netting does not 
result in much of a catch. But if this rise proves 
only temporary, there will be good fishing when 
the water subsides. 

The boy does not get enough exercise, and 
his constant movement is almost choreic ; so we 
sent him out to cut firewood, which is good for 
his soul. The girl amuses herself all day long 
Vv'ith some little dolls, but is ever ready to aid 
when there is a task within her strength. She 
is possessed with a laughing demon, and has 
been in a constant state of cachinnation the whole 
trip. At table some sterness is requisite to keep 
the fun within due bounds. All hands mess to- 
gether — we are a democratic crowd. Saturday 
John W. Gates' palatial yacht, the Roxana, 
passed down while we were at lunch. We saw 
a cook on deck; and two persons, wrapped up 
well, reclined behind the smokestack. 



THE LOWER ILLINOIS. 63 

Nov. II, 1903. — After a run of 22 miles — our 
best yet — we tied up at the Sangamon Chute, 
just below the mouth of that river. The day 
had been very pleasant. During the night our 
old friend the South Wind returned, but we 
were well moored and rode easily. The launch 
bumped a little, so the doctor rose and moved it, 
setting the fenders, also. Rain, thunder and 
lightning came, but secure in our floating home 
we were content. Today the wind has pinioned 
us to the shore, though the sun is shining and 
the wind not specially cold. The boys cut wood 
for the stove and then went after ducks, re- 
turning at noon with a pair of mallards. The 
new roof is tight, the stove draws well, and we 
ought to be happy, as all are well. But we should 
be far to the south, out of reach of this weather. 
We can see the whitecaps in the river at the 
bend below, but an island protects us from the 
full sweep of wind and wave. 

Regular trade-wind weather, sun shining, 
wind blowing steadily, great bulks of white 
cloud floating overhead, and just too cold to per- 
mit enjoyable exposure when not exercising. 



64 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

Friday, Nov. 13, 1903. — This thing grows 
monotonous. Yesterday we set out and got to 
Browning, a mile, when the wind blew us ashore 
against a ferry boat that was moored there, and 
just then the engine refused to work. We re- 
mained there all day. The wind was pitiless, 
driving us against the boat till we feared the 
cable would break. We got the anchor into the 
skiff and carried it out tO' windward as far as 
the cable reached, and then drew in till there 
were five feet between the ferryboat and ours. 
In half an hour the anchor, firmly embedded in 
tenacious clay, had dragged us back to the boat 
and 'we had again to^ draw in cable by bracing 
against the ferry. 

At 2 p. m. the wind had subsided, and after 
working with the engine till 4 we got off, and 
drew down a mile beyond the turn, where we 
would be sheltered. We moored with the anchor 
out up stream, and a cable fast ashore at the 
other end, lying with broadside up stream to the 
current, and a fender out to the shore. This 
fender is made of two two-by-fours set on edge 
and cross pieces let in near each end. The boat 
end is tied to the side and the shore end rams 



THE LOWER ILLINOIS. 65 

down into the mud. While at dinner the Bald 
Eagle came up, but we hardly noticed her wash. 
Moored thus, far enoiigh out to avoid snags, we 
are safe and comfortable. But if too close in 
shore there may be a submerged snag that when 
the boat is lifted on a wave and let down upon 
it punches a hole in the bottom or loosens a 
plank. 

The night was quiet. We had our first duck 
supper, the boys getting a brace and a hunter at 
the fish house giving us two more. They had 
hundreds of them, four men having had good 
shooting on the Sangamon. This morning it is 
cool and cloudy, the wind aft and light, and the 
boys are coaxing the engine. If we can get a 
tow we will take it, as there is some danger we 
may be frozen in if we delay much longer. 



Saturday, Nov. 14, 1903. — Despite the hoo- 
doo of yesterday, Friday the 13'th, we got safely 
to Beardstown before lunch, in a drizzle of rain 
that turned to a light snow. Temperature all 
day about 35. After lunch we started down and 
passed La Grange about 4:30 p. m. Probably 
this was a town in the days when the river was 



66 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

the great highway, but stranded when the rail- 
ways replaced the waterways. There is a very 
large irame building at the landing, evidently 
once a tavern, and what looks like an old street, 
with no houses on it now. The tavern is propped 
up to keep it from falling down. No postoffice. 
We tied up about a mile above the La Grange 
lock, so that we may be ready to go through at 
8 a. m. We hear that the locks are only opened 
to small fry like gasolines at 8 a. m. and 4 p. m., 
and it behooves us to be there at one of those 
hours. Just why a distinction should be made 
between steamers and gasolines is for official- 
dom to tell. 



Twice yesterday the launch propeller fouled 
the towrope, once requiring the knife to relieve 
it. This accident is apt to occur and needs con- 
stant attention to prevent. We arranged two poles 
to hold up the ropes, and this did well. It is 
good to have a few poles, boards and various 
bits of timber aboard for emergencies. Heavy 
frost last night, but the sun is coming up clear 
and bright, and not a breath of wind. We look 
for a great run today if we manage the lock 



THE LOWER ILLINOIS. 6/ 

without delay. The quail are whistling all 
around us, but we are in a hurry. The Bald 
Eagle passed down last evening, running quite 
near us and sending in big waves, but thanks to 
our mooring, we were comfortable and had no 
bumping. The water does no harm; it is the 
shore and the snags we fear. 

We were told that we would find the lockmen 
at La Grange grouty and indisposed to open the 
locks except at the hours named above; but this 
proved a mistake. They showed us the unvary- 
ing courtesy we have received from all canal 
officials since starting. They opened the gate 
without waiting ,for us. They said that in the 
summer, picnic parties gave them so much un- 
necessary trouble that they had to establish the 
rule quoted, but at present there was no need for 
it. The day is decidedly cool and a heavy fog 
drifting in from the south. 

At Meredosia at ii a. m., where Dr. Neville 
kindly assisted us to get a check cashed. Found 
a youngster there who ''knew gasoline engines," 
and by his help the difficulty was found and rem- 
edied. Laid in supplies and set out for Naples. 
Weather cool, but fog lifted, though the sun re- 
fused to be temped out. 



CHAPTER IX. 



TOWING. 



Monday, Nov. i6, 1903. — The engine bucked 
yesterday, for a change, so we 'phoned to Mere- 
dosla and secured the services of the Celine, a 
gasoline launch of five-horse-power. She start- 
ed at once, but arriving in sight of Naples she 
also stopped and lay two hours before she con- 
descended to resume. About 3 p. m. we got 
under way, the Celine pushing, with a V of two- 
by-fours for her nose and a strong rope reach- 
ing (from her stern to each after corner of the 
scow. Then our own engine awoke, and ran all 
day, as if she never knew what a tantrum was. 
We made Florence, a town of 100 people, and 
tied up for the night. An old "doctor" had a 
boat with a ten-horse-power gasoline tied up 
next us. He travels up and down the river sell- 
ing medicines. As these small towns could 
scarcely support a doctor, there is possibly an 
opening for a real physician, who would thus 
supply a number of them. Telephonic commu- 

68 




LAUNCH TOWING. 



TOWING. 69 

nication is so free along the river that he could 
cover a large territory— at least better than no 
doctor at all. 

During the night it blew hard, and rain, 
thunder and lightning made us feel sorry for the 
poor folk who were exposed to such dangers on 
shore. This morning we got of¥ about 7:15, 
with a dull, lo'wering sky, fog, but a wind dead 
astern and a strong current, so that we are in 
hopes of a record run. So far our best has been 
22 miles in one day. 

The right bank shows a series of pretty high 
bluffs, the stratified rock showing through. Fer- 
ries grow numerous. A good deal of timber is 
at the riverside awaiting shipment — a good 
deal, that is, for Illinois — and remarkably large 
logs al that. It seems to go to Meredosia. The 
boy and his father had made a gangway plank, 
and a limber afifair it 'was ; so the boys are taking 
it to pieces and setting the two-by-fours up on 
edge, which gives more strength. There is a 
right and a wrong way of doing most things, and 
we invariably choose the wrong till shown bet- 
ter. 

Bought some pecans at Meredosia — $3.00 a 



70 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

bushel. It ought to pay to raise them at that 
price, which is rather low than high. The river 
is said to be lined with the trees, and one woman 
says she and her two daughters made $150 
gathering them this season. Hickory nuts cost 
80 cents to $1.20, the latter for big coarse nuts 
we would not gather in the East. 



Tuesday, Nov. 17, 1903. — Kampsville, 111. 
Yesterday Mr. Hauser brought us this far with 
the gasoline launch Celine, and then quit — too 
cold. Cost $12 for the tow. By the time we got 
here the northeast wind was blowing so fierce 
and cold that we tied up. The town seems very 
lively for so small a place, having a number of 
stores. They charged us 25 cents a gallon for 
stove gasoline, but only 8 cents a pound for very 
fair roasting beef. We wxre moored on a lee 
shore, with our port bow to land, lines from both 
ends to stakes on shore, and the gangway plank 
roped to the port corner side and staked down 
firmly ; the anchor out from the starboard stern, 
so as to present that side to the wind and cur- 
rent. She swung easily without bumping, but 
the plank complained all night. We scarcely felt 



TOWING. 71 

the waves from the Bald Eagle when she came 
in, but the wind raised not only whitecaps but 
breakers and we rocked some. It grew so cold 
that there was a draft through the unlined sides 
of the boat that kept our heads cold. Fire was 
kept up all night and yet we were cold. 

We now see as never before ho'w much harm 
was done by the old boat, that compelled us to 
remain so long in this northern latitude and get 
the November storms. But for this we would have 
been well below Memphis, and escaped these 
gales, 

We got new batteries here, but this morning 
all the gasolines are frozen up, and we la}^ at our 
moorings, unable to move. They wanted $20 to 
tow us 29 miles to Grafton, but have come down 
to $15 this morning. We will accept if they can 
get up power, though it is steep — $5.00 being 
about the usual price for a day's excursion in 
summer. All hands are stuffing caulking around 
the windows and trying to keep in some of the 
heat. Sun shining, but the northeast 'wind still 
blows whitecaps, with little if any sign of letting 
up. The launch that proposes to tow us is busy 
thawing out her frozen pump. We have put the 



^2 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

canoe and skiff on the front ''porch," so as to 
have less difficulty steering. 

The little Puritan still sits on the stove in the 
cabin, and easily furnishes two gallons of water 
a day when sitting on top of the stove lid. Four 
times we have turned on the water and forgotten 
it till it ran over. We might arrange it to let a 
drop fall into the still just as fast as it evapo- 
rates, if the rate were uniform, but on a wood 
stove this is impossible. Last night it burned 
dry and some solder melted out of the nozzle, 
but not enough to make it leak. It did not hurt 
the still, but such things must be guarded against. 

The weather is warmer, sun shining brightly, 
but we must 'wait for our tow. The boys are 
getting tired of the monotony, especially Jim, 
who likes action. We have the first and only cold 
of the trip, contracted the cold night when our 
heads were chilled. 

This afternoon Jim and the boy went one way 
for pecans and squirrels, and the three women 
another for pecans alone. This is the pecan 
country, the river being lined with the trees for 
many miles. In the cabin-boat alongside, the old 
proprietor is still trying to get his engine to 



TOWING. 73 

work, while both his men are drunk. And he 
never did get them and the engine in shape, but 
lost the job. He did not know how to run his 
own engine, which is unpardonable in anyone 
who lives in such a boat or makes long trips in it. 



Thursday, Nov. 19, 1903. — Another tedious 
day of waiting. Cold and bright; but the cold 
kept us in. After dark Capt. Fluent arrived 
with his yacht, the Rosalie, 21 -horse-power gaso- 
line; and at 9 a. m. we got under way. Passed 
the last of the locks -at 9:15, and made about five 
miles an hour down the river. Passed Hardin, 
the last of the Illinois river towns. Many ducks 
in the river, more than we had previously seen. 
Clear and cold; temperature at 8 a. m. 19; at 2 p. 
m., 60. About 3 :25 p. m. we swung into the 
Mississippi. The water was smooth and did not 
seem terrible to us — in fact we had passed 
through so many 'Svides" in the Illinois that we 
were not much impressed. But we are not say- 
ing anything derogatory to the river god, for we 
do not want him to give us a sample of his 
powers. We are unpretentious passers by, no 
Aeneases or other distinguished bummers, but 



74 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

just a set of little river tramps not worth his 
godship's notice. 

Grafton is a straggling town built well back 
from the river, and looking as if ready to take 
to the bluffs at the first warning. The Missouri 
shore is edged with willows and lies low. We 
notice that our pilot steers by the lights, making 
for one till close, and then turning towards the 
next, keeping just tO' the right or left, as the 
Government list directs : Probably our craft, 
drawing so little water, might go almost any- 
where, but the channel is probably clear of snags 
and other obstructions and it is better to take no 
chances. It was after 6 when we moored in 
Alton. Day's run, 45 miles in nine hours. We 
picked up enough ducks on the way down for 
to-night's dinner — two mallards and two teal. 



Friday, Nov. 20, 1903. — Cold this 
enough to make us wish we were much farther 
south. Capt. Fluent has quite a plant here — a 
ferry boat, many small boats for hire, etc. In 
the night a steamer jolted us a little, but nothing 
to matter. Even in the channel the launch ran 
over a sunken log yesterday. We note a gaso- 



TOWING. 



75 



line launch alongside that has one of the towing 
cleats and a board pulled off, and hear it was in 
pulling her oft" a sand bar; so there is evidently 
wisdom in keeping in the channel, even if we 
only draw eight inches. 

A friend called last evening. Waiting at the 
depot he saw our lights and recognized the two 
side windows with the door between. It was good 
to see a familiar face. 

We are now free from the danger of ice block- 
ade. The current at the mouth of the Illinois is 
so slow that ice forming above may be banked 
up there, and from; this cause Fluent was held 
six weeks once — the blocking occurring in No- 
vember. But the great river is not liable to this 
trouble. Still we will push south fast. This 
morning we had a visit from a bright young re- 
porter from an Alton paper, who wrote up some 
notes of our trip. The first brother quill we had 
met, so we gave him a welcome. 

At 9 a. m. we set out for St. Louis, Mrs. Fluent 
and children accompanying her husband. The 
most curious houseboat we have yet seen lay on 
shore near our mooring place. It was a small 
raft sustained on barrels, with a cabin about six 



76 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

feet by twelve. A stovepipe through the roof 
showed that it was inhabited. Reminded us of 
the flimsy structures on which the South Amer- 
ican Indians entrust themselves to the ocean. 

The Reynard and her tender are following us, 
to get the benefit of Fluent's pilotage. A head 
wind and some sea caused disagreeable pounding 
against the front overhang, which alarmed the 
inexperienced and made us glad it was no wider. 
But what wall it do when the waves are really 
high? 



1 



7^ 




CHAPTER X. 



ST. LOUIS. 



St. Louis, Nov. 26, 1903. — We moored at the 
private landing belonging to Mr. Gardner, whose 
handsome yacht, the Annie Russell, came in on 
the following day. This was a great comfort, 
affording a sense of security, which the reputa- 
tion of the levee made important. A reporter 
from the Globe-Democrat paid us a visit, and a 
notice of the boat and crew brought swarms o.f 
visitors. We were deluged with invitations so 
numerous that we were compelled to decline all, 
that no offense might be given. But Dr. Lan- 
phear and his wife were not to be put off, so they 
drove down to take us for a drive through the 
Fair grounds, 'with their huge, inchoate build- 
ings ; and then brought to the boat materials for 
a dinner which they served and cooked there. It 
is needless to add that we had a jolly time. 

Many applications were made for berths on 
the boat, which also we had to decline. One dis- 
tinguished professor of national repute offered to 
77 



^8 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

clean guns and boots if he were taken along. 
Despite the bad reputation of the levee we saw 
absolutely nothing to annoy us. We heard of 
the cruelty of the negroes to animals but scarce- 
ly saw a negro here. It is said that they catch 
rats on the steamers and let them out in a circle 
of negro drivers, who with their blacksnake whips 
tear the animal to pieces at the first blow. 

We visited the market and had bon marchc 
there, and at Luyties' large grocery. Meat is 
cheap here, steak being from lo to 12 cents a 
pound. 

Foreman turned up with the Bella, and tried to 
get an interview ; but we refused to see him, the 
memory of the perils to which he had exposed a 
family of helpless women and children, as well 
as the delay that exposed us to the November 
gales, rendering any ^further acquaintance unde- 
sirable. 

Frank Taylor, the engineer of the Desplaines, 
was recommended to us by his employer, Mr. 
Wilcox, of Joliet, as the best gasoline expert in 
America ; and he has been at work on our en- 
gine since we reached St. Louis. It is a new 
make to him, and he finds it obscure. We have 



ST. LOUIS. 79 

had so much trouble 'with it, and the season is 
so far advanced, that we arranged with the Des- 
plaines, whose owner very kindly agreed to tow 
us to Memphis. This is done to get the invalid 
below the frost line as quickly as possible. The 
Desplaines is selling powder fire extinguishers 
along the river; and we are to stop wherever 
they think there is a chance for some business. 

At St. Louis we threw away our stove, which 
was a relic of Foreman, and no good ; and bought 
for $8.00 a small wood-burning range. It works 
'well and we can do about all our cooking on it, 
except frying. As we can pick up all the wood 
we wish along the river, this is more economic 
than the gasoline stove, which has burned 70 
gallons of fuel since leaving Chicago. 

We stopped for Thanksgiving dinner above 
Crystal City, and the Desplaines crowd dined 
with us— Woodruff, Allen, Clements, Taylor and 
Jake. A nice crowd, and we enjoyed their com- 
pany. Also the turkey, goose, mince pie, mac- 
aroni, potatoes, onions, celery, cranberries, pic- 
kles, nuts, raisins, nut-candy, oranges and coffee. 
The current of the river is swifter than at any 



8o THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

place before met, and carries us along fast. The 
Desplaines is a steamer and works well. 

We made about 50 miles today and tied up on 
the Illinois side, just above a big two-story Gov- 
ernment boat, which was apparently engaged in 
protecting the banks from washing. Great piles 
of stone were being dumped along the shore and 
timber frames laid down. It was quite cold. The 
shore w^as lined with driftwood and young up- 
rooted willows, and we laid in a supply of small 
firewood — enough to last a week. 



Friday morning, Nov. 27. — Temperature 20; 
clear and cold, with a south wind blowing, which 
makes the waves bump the boat some, the wind 
opposing the swift current. Got off about 7 145, 
heading for Chester, where the Desplaines ex- 
pects to stop for letters. 



CHAPTER XI. 



THE MISSISSIPPI. 

Nov. 28, 1903. — Yesterday morning we left 
our moorings 45 miles below St. Louis, and 
came dawn the river against the wind. This 
made waves that pounded our prow unpleasant- 
ly. We passed the Kaskaskia chute, through 
which the whole river now passes, since the Gov- 
ernment has blocked up the old river bed. A few 
houses mark the site of old Kaskaskia. Near- 
ing the end of the chute, the Desplaincs ran on a 
sand bar, as the channel is very narrow and runs 
close to the shore, which it is cutting away rap- 
idly. It took two hours to free her. We tied up 
early at Chester, as they desired to work the 
town. During the night we were severely rocked 
by passing steamers, and bumped by the launch 
and skiff. This morning the river was smooth 
as glass. The Desplaines was not through with 
their work, so we did not set out till 10:30. By 
that time a gale had sprung up from the north 
and we had trouble. We were moored by a 

81 



82 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

single line to the shore, and as this was cast off 
and the Desplaincs began to move, her towline 
fouled the propeller. We drifted swiftly down 
toward a row of piles, but were brought up by 
the anchor hastily dropped. The steamer drifted 
down against us, narrowly missing smashing our 
launch, and getting right across our anchor rope. 
Blessed be the anchor to windward. But the 
staple to which the cable was fast began to show 
signs of pulling out, so we got a chain and small 
lines and made them fast to the timbers of the 
scow, so that if the cable broke they might still 
hold. Finally the rope was removed from the 
propeller, and after several attempts they got 
hold of us and steamed up to the anchor, so that 
five strong men could raise it. Then we went 
down stream at a rate to terrify one who knew 
the danger, if we should strike a sandbank. On 
we go, past the crumbling banks of sand strat- 
ified with earth, with government channel lights 
at close intervals. The channel changes from 
side to side constantly. We run by the lights, 
and are somehow absorbing a wholesome respect 
for this great, mighty, uncontrollable Mississippi. 
Today he is covered with whitecaps and the cur- 



THE MISSISSIPPI. 83 

rent runs like a millrace. It is cold and the fire 
eats up wood pretty fast. 



Monday, Nov. 30, 1903. — Cape Girardeau, 
Mo. — We passed Grand Tower, and greatly re- 
gretted the absence of sunlight, which prevented 
us getting snap-shots of the scenery. Two miles 
below the town we tied up on the Missouri 
side, with a good sandy beach alongside, our 
anchor carried ashore and rooted into the gravel. 
A bad w^ay, for if there were a gale from the 
west the anchor would have soon dragged out. 
But the high bluffs protected us against wind 
from that quarter, and our fenders kept us out 
from the shore. Four steamers passed in the 
night, one of them the fine Peters Lee. Who is it 
said that the commerce of the Mississippi was 
a thing of the past? Just let him lie here on a 
houseboat and he will change his views. No nets 
are to be seen here, though probably the small 
affluents of the river would prove to be provided 
therewith, were we to examine them. In the morn- 
ing we found a loaded hickory tree just opposite 
us, and the boys gathered a few nuts. We also 



84 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

picked up a few white oak slabs, which make a 
fire quite different from the Hght rotten drift. 

The boys set out ahead in the launch with de- 
signs on the geese. The wind set in about 10 a. 
m., but the river is so crooked that we could 
scarcely tell from what quarter it blew. It was 
cold, though, and the waves rough. As Glazier 
says, it seems to set in from the same quarter, 
about that time daily, and were we to float with- 
out a tow we would start early and tie up before 
the wind began. But that would depend on find- 
ing a good place to tie, and altogether a man 
who would try to float a heavy boat without 
power should take out heavy insurance first, and 
leave the family at home. 

Where the river is cutting into a bank and the 
current strong, the wind whirling the cabin 
around, now with the current and again across 
or against it, there is every reason to look for 
being driven ashore and wrecked. Even were one 
to start about September ist, and float only when 
the river is smooth, he would run great risks. 
At one place the Government had evidently tried 
to block up one of the channels by rows of piling 
and brush, but the water ran through and was 



THE MISSISSIPPI. 85 

piled up several feet high against the obstruc- 
tions. The wind drove us directly down against 
it and the fifteen-horse-power tug could just keep 
us off. 

Without the power our boat would have been 
driven against the piling with force enough to 
burst her sides and the piles as well, and a cre- 
vasse and shipwreck would have resulted. In 
the afternoon a large steamer passed up, leaving 
a train of waves so large that they washed up on 
the front deck and under the cabin, wetting our 
floor in a moment. J. J. is now nailing quarter- 
rounds along the edges, to prevent such an acci- 
dent again. We are told to have guards placed 
in front of our doors to prevent them being 
driven in when waves hit us on the side; and I 
think stout bars inside will be advisable. A 
stout wave would drive these flimsy doors off 
their hinges. 

Here we moored inside the bar, which pro- 
tects us from waves coming from the river. A 
number of cabin boats are drawn up on shore, 
the occupants seeming mainly of the river tramp 
class. This is a nice looking to'wn, of possibly 
10,000 people. Unpaved streets. Many brick 



86 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

blocks. Saw one doctor, who seemed to have 
sunk into a mere drudge — no animation, no en- 
thusiasm, it was impossible to get any expression 
of interest out of him. They bring milk here 
from an Illinois town loo miles up the river. 

We paid 25 cents for a gallon. 

A very courteous druggist near the landing 
seemed to make amends for the impassive doctor. 
Our pharmacal friend was a man of enterprise 
and had an ice-cream factory as well as a large 
and well-appointed shop. 



December i, 1903. — Yesterday the Desplaines 
wasted the morning trying to do business in Cape 
Girardeau. Good town, but no enterprise, they 
report. Excellent opportunity for a good gro- 
cery and provision store, judging by the prices 
and quality of food products offered us. We 
ran but 13 miles, tieing up in front of the ware- 
house at Commerce, Mo. A small place, but 
they found a market for their extinguishers, with 
men who had the old kind that required refilling 
twice a year. Curious two-story stores, a gal- 
lery running around the whole room. 

Shortly before reaching this place we passed 



THE MISSISSIPPI. 87 

two little cabin boats, tied up ; seemingly occu- 
pied by two big men each. They called to us 
that they had been three weeks getting this far 
from St. Louis — about 145 miles. This morn- 
ing we passed them a mile below Commerce, each 
with a row-boat towing and a man at the stem 
working two sweeps. Looked like work, but 
that is the real thing when it comes to cabin boat- 
ing. They were in the current, but working 
cautiously near shore. 

It was snowing smartly as we set out about 
7:30, but warmer than for some days. The lit- 
tle one has had asthma badly for some days, but 
it began to give way, and she had a fairly com- 
fortable night. During the morning we got in 
a place where the channel seemed so intricate 
that the tug ran in to inquire of some men on 
shore ; and in turning in, the house ran against 
a projecting tree so swiftly that had we not rushed 
out and held her off, the snag would have 
crushed in the thin side of the house. To even 
matters, we picked out of the drift a fine hard- 
wood board, evidently but a short time in the 
water. Never lose a chance to get a bit of good 
timber for firewood — vou never have too much. 



88 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

Plenty of geese flying and on the bars, but the 
wary fellows keep out of range. Cleaned the 
Spencer and reloaded the magazine. 

Higgles simply outdoes herself, nursing her 
sick mother, ironing and otherwise helping Mil- 
lie, and picking nuts for us. She has improved 
wonderfully this trip, which is developing her in 
all ways. She eats better than ever before, and 
is simply sweet. Cheeks rival the boy's in rosi- 
ness. The boy likes to get in with the men, and 
we see no evidence of talk unfit for an ii-year- 
old boy, but he returns very impatient of control, 
and ready to pout out his lips if any authority is 
manifested. The spirit of a man, and a man's 
impatience of control — but what would a boy be 
worth who did not feel thus? No milksops for 
us. 

We pass many men and steamers, barges, etc., 
doing Government work on this river. Just 
above they are weaving mattresses of wood, 
which are laid along where the river cuts into 
the land, and covered with brush, earth and 
stones. Many miles of bank are thus treated, 
and some control exerted on the course of the 
river. But what a task ! Do the men engaged 



THE MISSISSIPPI. 89 

in it get to take a personal interest in it, as does 
the trainer of a race horse? 

We now look for reminders of the civil war, 
and yesterday we saw on the Missouri shore the 
white tents oif a camp. Not the destructive army 
of war, but the constructive forces of the modern 
genius of civilization. The St. Louis and Mis- 
sissippi Valley Railroad is building its tracks 
along the shore, and every cliff is scarred by the 
cuts. And the great, giant river sweeps lazily 
by, as if he disdained to notice the liberties being 
taken with his lordship. But away back in the 
hills of Pennsylvania, the prairies of the Mid- 
west, the lakes of Minnesota and the headwaters 
of the Missouri, in the Northwest Rockies, the 
forces are silently gathering ; and in due time 
the old river god will swoop down with an ava- 
lanche: of roaring, whirling waters, and the St. 
L. & M. V. R. R. will have, not a bill for repairs, 
but a new construction account. 



CHAPTER XII. 



CAIRO AND THE OHIO. 

Cairo, III., Dec. 3, 1903. — We ran in here 
Thursday afternoon, and the little steamer had 
some trouble in pulling us against the current of 
the Ohio. The water is yellower than the Mis- 
sissippi. We tied up below town, as we hear 
that they charge $5.00 wharfage for mooring, or 
even making a landing in the city. The place 
where we moored was full of snags, but J. J. got 
into the water with his rubber waders and pulled 
the worst ones out from under the boat, till all 
was secure. Moored with the gangway plank 
out front and the other fender at the rear, both 
tied to the boat and staked at the shore end. 
Lines were also made fast to trees at each end. 
Thus we rode the waves easily — and well it was, 
for never yet have we seen so many steamers 
coming and going, not even at St. Louis. Sev- 
eral ferry boats ply between the Missouri and 
Kentucky shores and the city, transfer steamers 
carry freight cars across, and many vessels ply 



CAIRO AND THE OHIO. 9I 

on the rivers with passengers and freight. Sure- 
ly the men who advised Charles Dickens to 
locate lots here were not far out, as things were 
then ; for the railroads had not as yet superseded 
the waterways. Not that they have yet, for that 
matter. Since coming here we have been in- 
quiring for the man whO' proclaimed the rivers 
obsolete as lines for transportation. 

Cairo is the biggest and busiest town of 12,000 
inhabitants we have yet seen. Many darkies are 
here, and the worst looking set of levee loafers 
yet. We had some oysters at "Uncle Joe's," on 
the main business street, the only restaurant we 
saw ; and when we surveyed the drunken gang 
there, we were glad we came in our old clothes. 
Where we moored, the shore is covered with 
driftwood, and we piled high our front deck, 
selecting good solid oak, hard maple and hem- 
lock, with some beautiful red cedar. Soft, rotten 
wood is not worth picking up, as there is no heat 
derived from it. Oak and hickory are the best. 
Old rails are good. Take no water-soaked wood 
if you can get any other — it will dry out in a 
week or two perhaps, but you may need it sooner, 
and when dry it may be worthless. Several men 



92 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

had erected a shack along shore which we should 
have taken shots at, but the sun was not out 
enough. Desplaines is doing a fair business. 



Hickman, Ky., Dec, 5, 1903. — We tied up here 
after a run of 38 miles from Cairo. The boys 
stopped at Columbus, Ky., but did no business — 
town full of extinguishers. Hickman is built of 
brick and stone, as to the business section, "and 
lit by electricity. Made a bad moor, on a rocky 
shore, with anchor out and front starboard bow 
firmly embedded in mud ; and this worried us so 
we slept poorly. Wind sprang up about 9 p. m., 
but not fierce. During the night several steam- 
ers passed and rocked us, but not much — the 
bow was too firmly washed into the mud by the 
strong current. This morning it took all hands 
half an hour to get us off, about 10 a. m. We 
were told at Hickman that 100 dwellings had 
been erected during the year, and not one was 
unoccupied. About 3,000 people, ifour drug 
stores, and an alert lot of business men in fine 
stores. Paid 30 cents a dozen for eggs, 10 cents 
for steak. We see many floaters, some every 
day. Ice formed along shore last night, but the 



CAIRO AND THE OHIO. 93 

sun is coming out bright and warm. Wind from 
the south, not heavy but enough to kick up a dis- 
agreeable bumping against our prow. This is 
always so when the wind is against the current. 



Donaldson's Point, Mo. — We stopped here yes- 
terday afternoon about 2 p. m., that the boys 
might have a day's shooting. J. J., Allen and 
Taylor went out on the sand bar all night, and 
got nothing except an exalted idea of the per- 
spicuity of the wild goose. En passant they were 
almost frozen, despite a huge fire of drift they 
kindled. 

We tied up on the channel side, just below 
Phillips' Bar light, a good sandy shore with deep 
water and no snags — an ideal mooring place. We 
moored with the port side in, the Desplaines out- 
side, lines fore and aft and the fore gangway 
plank out. But the launch was uneasy and would 
bump the stem, and there must have been a re- 
view of the ghosts of departed steamers during 
the night, ifor many times we were awakened by 
the swell of passing vessels rocking us. 

This morning is clear and cold, temperature 
20, with a keenness and penetrating quality not 



94 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

felt with a temperature twenty degrees lower in 
the north. We saw some green foliage in the 
woods, and Clement said it was ''fishing pole" — 
cane ! Our first sight of the canebrake. The 
Doctor, J. J., the boy and Clement went up 
through the cornfields to the woods, but found 
no game. A few doves got up, but too far away 
for a shot. Jim got a mallard, Woodruff a fox 
squirrel — and one whose name we will not dis- 
close shot a young pig. An old darkey came 
down to the Dcsplaiiies with milk, chickens and 
eggs, for which he got a fabulous price ; also a 
drink, and a few tunes on the phonograph, and 
he hinted that if they should shoot a pig he 
would not know it, or words to that effect. Hun- 
dreds of hogs ran the woods, and showed the 
tendency to reversion by their long, pointed 
heads and agile movements. Apparently they 
eat the pecans, for their tracks were thick under 
the trees. Rather expensive food, with the nuts 
worth 30 cents a pound. 

About 3 :20 we got under way for down the 
river. This morning a floater passed quite close 
to the boat. Two men and a dog manned the 
craft. Said they were bound for Red River. The 



CAIRO AND THE OHIO. 95 

children gathered a bag of fine walnuts of un- 
usual size. As we never lose a chance of adding 
to the wood-pile, we gathered in a couple of oak 
rails and a fine stick of cedar, which we sawed 
and split for exercise. 

There are no cows on the negro farms, no 
chickens. In fact, their traditional fondness for 
the fowl is strictly limited to a penchant for 
someone else's chickens. When we ask for milk 
they always take it to mean buttermilk, until 
enlightened. Here we saw a remarkable boat, a 
dugout canoe not over ,four inches in depth, and 
warped at that, but the women told us they went 
about in it during the floods. We bought some 
pecans, paying 7 cents a quart. 



Tuesday, Dec. 8, 1903. — Sunday evening we 
ran till we reached New Madrid, Mo., about 8 
p. m. We made a good landing, tying up with 
the tug alongside, lines out at each end, both 
fenders out and the launch astern. The boys 
did a good business here, and enjoyed the visit. 
Got meat and some drugs, but could get no milk 
or eggs, and only two pounds of butter in the 
town. After noon we got off and ran down to 



96 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

Point Pleasant, a decaying town isolated by a 
big sand bar in front of her, covered with snags. 
The Desplaines picked up a fine lot of wood here, 
enough to run them a week, which they piled on 
our front deck. This morning we came on to 
Tiptonville landing, where we saw a cotton field 
and gin. This is the northern limit of cotton cul- 
tivation, and it was poor stuiT. 

Everyone who accosts us asks for whisky, 
which seems to be scarce. The temperance move- 
ment evidently has made great progress in these 
places. The bluffs grow higher as we go south, 
and no attempt seems made to restrain the river 
from cutting in at its own sweet will. Crum- 
bling banks of loose sand and earth, fringed with 
slim willows and larger trees, at every rod some 
of them hanging over into the stream. The snag 
boat Wright seems busy removing these when 
menacing navigation, but we see many awaiting 
her. 

This afternoon we passed a floater who had 
gone by us at New Madrid. Propelled by two 
stout paddles and four stout arms, they have 
made as good time as we with our tug. When 
we see how these men entrust themselves to the 



CAIRO AND THE OHIO. 97 

mercies of the great river in such a frail craft, it 
seems as if we had Httle to fear in our big boat. 
They have a little scow about six feet by ten, all 
but the front covered by a cabin, leaving just 
enough room in front for the sweeps, and they 
tow a skiff. If the wind is contrary or too stiff 
they must lie up, but at other times the current 
carries them along with slight exertion at the 
sweeps. The river is falling fast. Each night we 
tie up with all the boat floating easily, and every 
morning find ourselves aground. It seems to 
fall about six inches a nisfht. 



Thursday, Dec. lo, 1903.— For two nights and 
a day we lay at Caruthersville, Mo., where the 
Desplaines had bon marche, selling 16 extin- 
guishers and getting the promise of a dozen more. 
A large town, full of business and saloons, 
gambling houses, booths for rifle shooting and 
"nigger babies," etc. Tradespeople seemed surly 
and ungracious, except one woman who kept a 
restaurant and sold us oysters and bread. She 
was from Illinois. Still, it must be a place of un- 
usual, intelligence, as a doctor is Alayor. 

Last night we had a disagreeable blow from 



98 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

the northwest. We went out and overhauled our 
mooring carefully before retiring. The back line 
was insecure, as there was nothing to which it 
could be attached, and the boys had merely piled 
a lot of rocks on the end ; but we could see noth- 
ing better; so merely strengthened the lines 
fastening the fenders to the boat. It was a cir- 
cular storm, apparently, as the wind died out and 
in a few hours returned. When we set out at 
7 130 this morning it was fairly calm, but at 8 :20 
it is again blowing hard from the same quarter. 
The sun is out brightly and it is not cold. White- 
caps in plenty but little motion, as we travel 
across the wind. There are now no large towns 
before us and we hope to run rapidly to Mem- 
phis. The river is big, wide, deep and powerful. 
Huge trunks of trees lie along the bars. What a 
giant it must be in flood. Not a day or night 
passes without several steamers going up and 
down. The quantity of lumber handled is great, 
and growing greater as we get south. Our chart 
shows the levees as beginning above Caruthers- 
ville, but we saw nothing there except a little 
stone dumped alongshore. Waves potuiding 
hard. 



CAIRO AND THE OHIO. 99 

Gold Dust Landing, Tenn., Dec. lo, 1903. In 
spite of a head wind we made a run of 52 miles 
today, and moored below a Government barge: 
The fine steamer Robert E. Lee was at the land- 
ing and pulled out just as we ran in. The day 
was clear and sunny, not very cold, about 39, but 
whenever we ran into a reach with the west or 
southwest wind ahead the boat pounded most 
unpleasantly. No floaters afloat today, but num- 
bers along shore in sheltered nooks. The levees 
here are simply banked fascines, stone and earth, 
to keep the river from cutting into the shores. 
Even at low water there is an enormous amount 
of erosion going on. It takes unremitting vig- 
ilance to keep the river in bounds and the snags 
pulled out. 



Fogleman's Chute, Dec. 12, 1903. — We made 
a famous run yesterday of over 60 miles, and 
tied up here about 5 p. m. on the eastern shore, 
the channel being on the west. A small cabin 
boat stands near us, in which are a man and 
three boys whO' have come down from Indiana, 
intending to seek work at Memphis. Their first 
experience cabin boating. We asked one of the 



100 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

boys if he liked it, and he looked up with a sud- 
den flash of wildness and keen appreciation. 

A fierce south wind came up in the night, and 
there are situations more enviable than trying to 
sleep in a houseboat with three boats using her 
for a punching bag. And the little woman had 
asthma, badly, to make it worse. This morning 
it was blowing hard and raining. The rain beat 
in on the front deck and ran into the hold and 
under the quarter-rounds into the cabin. The 
roof leaked into the storeroom also. Millie was 
seasick and some one else would have been, but 
he took the children out for a rove. Found a 
walnut tree and gathered a large bag of fine nuts. 
The others brought in some squirrels and pockets- 
ful of pecans, but we found neither. Stretched 
the skins on wood and applied alum to the raw 
surface, intending to make the little woman some 
buskins to keep her feet warm. Quantities of 
mistletoe grow on the trees about us. The sun 
came out about 2 p. m., when too late to make 
the run to Memphis, 22 miles, before dark. Yes- 
terday was so warm that we could sit out in the 
open air without wraps. We are tied up to 
Brandywine Island, near the lower end. 



CAIRO AND THE OHIO. lOI 

After lunch we sallied out again and met the 
owner of the soil, who ordered us off in a surly 
manner. In the whole trip this is the first bit of 
downright incivility we have met. After he found 
we were not after his squirrels he became some- 
what less ungracious. The sky soon became over- 
cast again, and the rain returned. About sunset 
it set in to blow a gale from the northwest, and 
the billows rolled in on us. We got the launch 
and skiff out of danger, carefully overlooked our 
lines and fenders, but still the tug bumped 
against the side. How the wind blows, and the 
waves dash against the side of the tug driving her 
against our side with a steady succession of 
blows. It worried us to know that the safety of 
the boats depended on a single one-inch rope, and 
the tug lashed against the outside strained on it. 
The rope was tense as a fiddle-string. If it broke 
the stern Oif our boat would swing out and throw 
us on an ugly snag that projected slightly about 
six feet below us ; and the tug would be thrown 
into the branches of a huge fallen cypress. So 
we took the long rope and carried it ashore to 
the north end, from which the wind came, and 
Lashed it securely to a huge stump, then tied the 



102 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

other end through the overhang of our boat at 
that end. If the Hne parts the new Hne will hold 
us against the soft, sandy bank, and give time 
for further effort to keep us off the snag. As it 
turned out the line held, but it does no harm to 
take precautions, and one sleeps better. 

During the night the wind died out, and the 
morning of Sunday, Dec. 13, 1903, is clear and 
cold, a heavy frost visible. The river is full of 
floaters, one above us, two directly across, one 
below, another above, and one floating past near 
the other shore. The Desplaines is getting up 
steam and we hope to see Memphis by noon. 



CHAPTER XIII. 



DUCK SHOOTING. 

Memphis, Tenn., Dec. 20. 1903. — We ran in 
here last Sunday morning, Dec. 13, intending to 
stock up and get out on Wednesday. But Hand- 
werker had arranged a shoot for us at Beaver 
Dam Club, land there we spent Tuesday after- 
noon and Wednesday morning, bagging 26 ducks 
— 12 mallards, 8 green-winged teal, 4 pintails, 
one widgeon and one spoonbill. Met Mr. Selden, 
the president of the club, and Mr. O'Sullivan, 
and of course enjoyed every minute of the time. 

The club is built on social principles, with a 
large sleeping room with four beds ; better con- 
ducive to fun than seclusion — and the first is 
what we seek at such resorts. After lunch we 
set out, with negro boatmen, finding a thin coat 
of ice over the lake. This is an old river bed, of 
half-moon shape, with a little water and bottom- 
less mud. Thousands of ducks were perched on 
the ice and swimming in the few small open 
spaces. We laboriously broke our way through 



I04 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

the ice to our chosen stands, and constructed 
Winds. Each boat had three Hve decoys; and 
after this first experience with these we must 
say that we retired fully convinced of our innate 
regularity as physicians — for we cannot quack a 
bit! Every time a flight of ducks appeared, our 
tethered ducks quacked lustily, the drake keeping 
silent; and it was effective. That evening the 
shooting was the most exasperating in our expe- 
rience. Twice we brought down doubles, but not 
a bird of either did we bag. We had eight birds 
down, wounded, which in falling broke holes in 
the ice — and we left them till we were going in, 
as they could neither fly nor swim ofif; but the 
sun came out warmer, melted the ice, and not a 
bird of the lot did we bag. If there is anything 
that takes the edge oflf a duck hunter's pleasure 
— at least of this one's — it is wounding a bird 
and not being able to put it out of misery. 

A good dinner made some amends, and the 
story telling continued far into the night — in fact 
was still going when the writer fell asleep. 

Next morning we had better luck, and got 
every bird knocked down, as well as one of those 
winged the preceding day. In all we bagged 26 



DUCK SHOOTING. IO5 

ducks during the two days — ^and that for a party 
of 12 on the two boats is not an excessive supply. 
Not an ounce of the meat was wasted, and we 
could have enjoyed another meal of them. 

One singular accident robbed us Oif a fine 
greenhead. A flock of five passed directly over 
our heads, so high that the guide said it was use- 
less to try for them ; but strong in our confidence 
in the Winchester we took the leader, and he 
tumbled. Yes, tumbled so hard, from such a 
height that he broke through the ice and plunged 
so deeply into the mud that we were unable to 
find him, after most diligent trials. We had been 
impressed with the force of a duck's fall, when 
shooting one coming directly head on, and can 
realize that a blow from one may be dangerous. 
In Utah we heard of a man who was knocked 
out of his boat and his head driven intoi the mud 
so far that he 'would have been smothered had 
not the guide been able to draw him out. 

On reaching the boat Wednesday evening we 
found that J. J. had improved the opportunity of 
our absence by getting drunk, and had frightened 
the folk by developing that most objectionable 
form of it, a fighting drunk. After a few days 



I06 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

he wound up in the lock-up, and there we leave 
him — thoroughly disgusted that he should have 
done such a thing when entrusted with the care 
of the sick wife and little ones. 

The wife and Doctor took dinner with some 
friends, meeting a number of Memphis folk ; and 
it is with unusual regret we bid adieu to this fine 
city. Stores are dearer than in St. Louis. 



We were all ready to start by Saturday morn- 
ing, but it was raining and foggy, the wind from 
the south too strong for our launch. Then the 
bank to which we were tied began to cave in, and 
soon our towlines were adrift. The Desplaines 
got up steam and took us north, where we re- 
mained all day ; but as it was changing toward 
the north by evening we pulled down below town 
and tied in a little cove under but at a distance 
from the blufif. All night it blew hard from the 
west, and drove us into the mud bank, where we 
are solidly planted now. Three lines out and the 
anchor, with the mud, held us pretty steady, but 
the tug heaved against us all night. Jim had 
cemented the front baseboard with white lead 
and this kept out the water, but it came in under 



DUCK SHOOTING. IO7 

the sides, and we will have to treat them sim- 
ilarly. The roof seemed tight. The windows 
leak, too, and will have tO' be sealed somehow — 
with putty, or the seams covered with strips of 
muslin glued on with varnish. 

Our Cairo wood is gone, and we are using 
drift, which is wet. We must saw and split about 
a cord, and let it dry out. There is great plenty 
along the shores. The Missis has had asthma as 
bad as ever before — small wonder. 

The Desplaines seems to be overmanned, for 
the owner, Mr. Woodruff, asked us to take Tay- 
lor off his hands. This we are very glad to do, 
as we are short, since losing J. J., and Taylor has 
gotten our launch in good shape at last. In fact 
we might have used her from St. Louis if we had 
had him. Taylor is an Englishman, a teetotaler, 
and is studying with a correspondence school to 
fit himself for the highest positions attainable by 
an engineer. 

One has to be careful what he says to the 
Memphis people. We mentioned to Prof. Hand- 
werker our need of a dog, and added that we 
preferred one that did not like negroes, as we 
wanted him to give warning when any stray ones 



I08 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

came near. Next day down came a crate con- 
taining- a little dog, a brindle terrier, with the 
word that he could not abide negroes. He at 
once proceeded to endear himself to every one on 
board, and fully verified his recommendations. 
His name is Bluff ; and surely never was dog bet- 
ter named. The brave little creature would, we 
verily believe, bluff an elephant. 



CHAPTER XIV. 



SNAGGED IN- TENNESSEE CHUTE. 

President's Island, Dec. 21, 1903. — Yester- 
day was one of high hopes and unexpected 
disaster. All morning Taylor wrestled with the 
engine; Fluent ran down to tell of a telegram 
awaiting us ; we went up in the Desplaines and 
found it was concerning some mss. not delivered 
by the express ; found the office open, the mss. 
had been returned to Chicago Saturday on wire 
from there, and no explanation as to why it had 
not been delivered during the week, on every day 
of which we had been to the express office after 
it. Holiday rush. 

At I p. m. we got off, the launch behind and 
steered by ropes running around the cabin to its 
front. All went well till Jim came in to dinner 
and we took the ropes — gave one turn to see 
which way the steering ran, found we were 
wrong and at once turned the other way, but 
that one turn gave the unwieldy craft a cant in 
to the shore, along which ran the swift current, 



no THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

and we drifted among a lot of snags, the launch 
caught, the boat caught, tore the blades off the 
propeller, broke the coupling; let go the anchor, 
and came to. In the melee we noticed the front 
end of a gasoline launch rise from some snags — 
a wreck, buoyed up by the air in the tank. The 
boys rowed back but could not locate it. Then 
we tried to lift our anchor, to find it fouled with 
something too heavy to be raised, and had to 
buoy it and cast loose with the 75 feet of cable 
attached to it. 

We drifted quietly down to the southern end 
of this island, where we tied up to the sand bar. 

Out fenders, one long line to a half-buried log 
far up the shore, the boat held well off to guard 
against the falling water leaving us aground. 
Well we did, for this morning the launch was so 
firm in the sand that we had trouble to get loose. 
The night Wias clear and quiet, and this morning 
the same — a light wind blowing us along down 
the river. Laid in a lot of driftwood in long 
sticks. Missy had a good night but is a little 
asthmatic this morning. Swept out into the cur- 
rent and floating now in true cabinboat style. We 
will keep clear of the Tennessee Chute next time. 



SNAGGED IN TENNESSEE CHUTE. Ill 

The Desplaines came along as we were lying 
at the lower end of the island, and came in to our 
signal. As we were totally disabled and would 
have to send to Auburn, N. Y., for new flukes 
for our propeller, they agreed to help us out, and 
took us in tow. They ran back to see if they 
could find the anchor or the sunken boat, but 
failed to locate either. 



Hardin's Point, Ark., Dec. 23, 1903.— Yester- 
day we ran in here after a fifty-mile run. Tied 
up quite near the light, which was not well, as 
the Kate Adams coming near rocked us as badly 
as any steamer we have yet met. We passed her 
and her consort, the James Lee, both aground 
within half a mile oif each other, near Mhoon's. 
Both got ofif, as the Lee came down today. The 
river is lower than usual, as the Mhoon gauge 
showed minus three. 

We laid in a good supply of wood, and then 
Jim and Frank found ,a lot of cannel coal over 
on the sand bar, and all day they have been load- 
ing up the Desplaines and our boat with it. Some 
barge has been wrecked there and the small 
pieces washed away, so that what is left is in 



112 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

large pieces, the smallest taking a strong man to 
lift. It is curiously water-burnt. The edges are 
well rounded, so it must have been long under 
water. A little darkey brought around six silver 
bass, weighing possitjly half a pound each, for 
which he accepted forty cents. They have a bar- 
rel ready for shipment. He called them game 
fish. 

A fine buck shot out of the woods on the other 
side, followed at a distance by ten hounds, and 
the deer nearly ran into Woodruff's boat, then 
swam to this side, where our boys vainly tried to 
get a shot. An old darkey said he could have 
been easily drowned by the man in the skiff ; but 
we are glad that species of murder did not offer 
attractions to Woodruff. The bars are resonant 
with the honking of the geese. The natives have 
no cows, chickens, nothing to sell, not even 
pecans — which here become "puckawns." This 
evening Jake brought in a fine wild goose, the 
first we have seen on board as yet. It has blown 
from the south all day, but is quiet this evening. 



Helena, Ark., Dec. 25, 1903. — We left Hardin 
Point about 9 a. m., with the wind dead ahead. 



SNAGGED IN TENNESSEE CHUTE. II3 

and strong enough to make the beating un- 
pleasant. The front deck is loaded with over a 
ton of coal, and this seems to make the boat 
steadier, less inclined to pitch and toss like a cork 
on the waves. 

Christmas day is clear and bright, the sun out, 
thermometer at 10:30 standing at 55 outside in 
the shade, and with a little wood fire running up 
to 90 in the cabin. The Missis is better, her 
asthma becoming more spasmodic and better con- 
trolled by smoke. It rained all last night, and 
though the caulking did good, there was still 
some water came in around the surbases. We 
got some putty to help out the lead. At every 
stop we pick up something of value to us ; usual- 
ly some good hard firewood. Here we found a 
section of the side of a boat washed ashore, solid 
oak, with several bolts a yard long through it. 
Frank lugged it in and has broken it up into 
stovewood, and secured the bolts for stakes. 

About 2 p. m. we reached Helena, a town of 
about 25,000. Moored at a distance up the 
stream, and landed on a muddy shore. The 
muddy south. We are all coated with the most 
adhesive of muds, the fineness of the grain ren- 



114 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

dering it difficult to remove from the clothes. The 
town is full of negroes, celebrating the holiday; 
and nearly all carry suspicious looking jugs. The 
costumes and shouting would make the fortune 
of a museum in the north. Found it impossible 
to secure a turkey fit to eat, but got the Missis 
some fine oysters and a chicken, and bear-steaks 
for our dinner — at 25 cents a pound. Game is 
not allowed to be sold in the state. Pity they do 
not extend the prohibition to whisky. 

We made candy, and in the evening had the 
crew all in, and grabbed for presents in a big 
basket under a newspaper. We had a happy time, 
although we were all out on the big river far 
from home. The Desplaines let their wild goose 
spoil, and threw it overboard this morning. At 
10 a. m. we set out for down the river. 

We searched the Memphis papers for some in- 
timation as to J. J.'s fate, but found none. Found 
the tale of an Indiana man who was coming 
down on a houseboat with his wife, intending to 
make his home in Greenville^ Miss. He was told 
at Cairo that there was a law in Tennessee 
against carrying concealed weapons, so here he 
started out with his pistol in his hands. He was 



SNAGGED IN TENNESSEE CHUTE. II5 

arrested and sentenced to jail for a year less a 
day, and $50 fine, the law forbidding the carry- 
ing of weapons. Such a punishment, adminis- 
tered to a stranger unaware of the law seems a 
travesty of justice. It is said here that it is safer 
to kill a man than to carry a weapon ; and it 
seems so. 



CHAPTER XV. 



MOORING. 



\\'e have been studying the subject of moor- 
ing, and present the following as an ideal moor: 

The fenders are stout poles six inches thick at 
the butt, three at the small end, which rests on 
shore. This end is deeply embedded in the dirt, 
so that it will not float away or ride up on the 
bank. The big end is firmly fastened to the side 
timbers, the four-by-fours running across the 
boat under the floor, by a short chain, which will 
not chafe out like a rope. The latter is better, as 
being elastic, however. Either must be strong 
to spare. The cable is an inch Manilla rope. 
Thus moored we are ready for all chances. The 
best thing to moor to is a stump or log firmly 
embedded, and as far as possible from shore, if 
crumbly, for the current may cut in fast. At 
Memphis our stake, forty feet from shore, was 
washed out in an hour. Never tie close to a 
bank that may fall in on the boat, or to a tree that 
may fall and crush you; or to a bank that may 



MOORING. 



117 



hold you ashore if the water falls in the night; 
or, worst of all, over a snag, for the waves of a 
passing steamer may lift the boat up and drop it 
so hard on the snag as to knock, a hole in the bot- 
tom. When possible moor where you will have a 
bar to protect you from the force of waves roll- 
ing in from a broad stretch of water. A narrow 
creek or cove would be ideal, but as yet we have 
hardly seen such a thing where we wanted to 
stop. When moored with the long side to the 
shore, less surface is exposed to the current and 
the wind, and less strain put upon the cables. 




AN IDEAL MOOR. 



CHAPTER XVI. 



A LEVEE CAMP. 

Allison's Landing, Ark., Dec. 26, 1903. — We 
landed here after dark last night, having been 
delayed at Friars' Point by the tug getting 
aground. The cabinboat floated down the river 
some distance, and then the back current and 
wind carried her on a sand bar. The tug was 
three hours getting free, by warping off with the 
anchor. 

We found this a levee camp. Hardly had we 
landed when a big negress came aboard to see 
what we had for sale. They wanted drygoods 
badly, and were much disappointed. Two 
pleasant gentlemen boarded us, the heads of the 
camp ; and spent the evening on the tug, with 
singing and music. They are here surrounded 
by negroes, and a little white association seemed 
as agreeable to them as it was to us. In the night 
all hands but Dr. and Taylor went cat-hunting. 

At II p. m. a furious wind storm sprang up 
from the northeast, exactly the direction from 

118 



A LEVEE CAMP. II9 

which to blow us on shore ; which was providen- 
tial, as we only had one long line out and that 
poorly secured to a stake in the soft, oozy bank. 
Frank saw that everything was right, and wisely 
went to bed ; but we could not rest easy, and sat up 
till 4 a.m. The canoe on the roof blew over against 
the stovepipe and we had to get out four times 
and push it back with a pole. It grew quite cold 
and the fire 'was grateful. 

About midnight the hunters came back with 
the usual luck to tell of. This morning Jake, the 
boy and Doctor went out to a bayou after ducks, 
but saw none. This country is said to swarm 
with game but it keeps hidden from us. What a 
thing is a bad reputation ! 

In the woods we noted the buds springing 
from the roots of the cypress, the size of an egg, 
and growing upward in hollow cones, called 
cypress knees. It is a remarkable and noble tree, 
the buttressed stumps giving promise of superb 
height, which seems rarely realized. Half a mile 
back from the landing we came upon the levee, 
a great bank of earth but partly covered with 
grass. Deep and narrow bayous run parallel with 



120 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

it, in which could be seen the movements of quite 
large fish. 

Robins, redbirds, jays, woodpeckers, black- 
birds, and a variety of still smaller birds abound- 
ed ; but we did not get any game. The two gen- 
tlemen in charge of the levee camp, Mr. Rogers 
and Mr. Ward, went with us into the woods, but 
the game was wary. All hands so thoroughly en- 
joyed the visit at this hospitable camp that for 
the rest of the trip we talked of it. We w^ere in- 
debted to these gentlemen for a roast of fresh 
pork. Their task is a difficult one, to keep in 
order so many negroes, all of the rough and il- 
literate sort. Quarrels over *'craps" and shoot- 
ing among the negroes are not infrequent, and in 
one a white man, passing by, was killed. Mr. 
Rogers has the repute of getting his men to work, 
and we heard a scrap of a song among them, ex- 
pressive of their sentiments or impressions : 

"Blisters on yo' feet an' co'ns on yo' han', 
Wat yo' git for wo'kin' fo' de black-haired man." 

A firm hand is absolutely necessary to rule 
these men, with whom weakness is perilous. Only 
a few weeks after our visit to one of these camps 



A LEVEE CAMP. 121 

a negro got in a dispute over a trivial sum in his 
account, got hold of the pistol the white man in 
charge had incautiously left in the negro's reach, 
and shot him dead. If there is anything in the 
art of physiognomy, many of these levee men are 
desperadoes. 



Dec. 28, 1903. — We left our friendly entertain- 
ers at Allison's and ran down to a bar, where 
Woodruff took in several tons of very good coal, 
costing nothing but the trouble of shipping. Mr. 
Rogers accompanied us to Modoc. 

Tied up at Mayflower landing, a good moor. 
A German there told us a trading boat at the 
landing above took away $6,000 in three days 
last year. The trader has a large scow, with a 
cabin, and a steamer to handle it. Every place 
we stop the people come to inquire what we have 
to sell. We got off at 7 a. m. today, passed the 
mouths of the White and Arkansas, and have run 
at least 60 miles. We have landed after dark, 
and we are not sure as to where we are. The 
weather has been most pleasant, temperature 
about 60 all day, little wind. The river is full of 
drift, but there is little traiffc. Just now a little 



122 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

steamer passed up. At Riverton were several 
small ones, but otherwise the solitude is un- 
broken. 

The shores are wild, the banks continually 
crumbHng into the river. A prodigious number 
of snags must be furnished yearly. Very few 
wild fowl appear. Floaters appear occasionally, 
but probably there will be fewer now, as many- 
are directed to the White river. This is probably 
near Monterey Landing. As the landing was 
narrow and beset with sna-gs we moored with tjie 
prow^ to the bank, two lines to the shore and the 
anchor out astern. We have much to say about 
mooring; but it is a matter of supreme impor- 
tance to the comfort and even the safety of the 
crew. It is not specially pleasant to turn out of 
bed in one's nightclothes, with the temperature 
below freezing, to find the boat adrift in a furious 
storm and pounding her bottom out on snags. 

We bought a new anchor from a trading boat 
at Allison's. It is 50 pounds, galvanized, with 
folding flukes and a ring at the end for a guy 
rope, so that if fouled as the other was, we can 
pull the flukes together and free it. Paid four 
dollars for it — same as for the other, but this is 



A LEVEE CAMP, 1 23 

a much better anchor, though not as strong as 
the soHd one. 

Jim has gone around the cabin and puttied up 
the cracks, and we hope the next rain will keep 
out. If not, we will get deck pitch and pay the 
seams. 



^ Arkansas City, Ark., Dec. 30, 1903. — Landed 
here shortly after noon, and spent the balance of 
the day. About 1,000 people, mostly black; some 
good stores ; got a few New Orleans oysters, 
which are sold by number, 25 cents for two 
dozen; bought a new anchor rope, 75 feet, 3.4 
inch, for $3.04, or 14^ cents a pound. Eggs, 35 
cents a dozen. No trade for extinguishers, 
though Woodruff had a nibble for his steamer. 
Weather clear, and temperature rising to about 
60 in midday, cold at night. This morning at 8, 
temperature 34. No wind. River smooth. What 
a lot of gasoline engines are in use. There are 
at least six boats rigged with them here. One 
Memphis party is building a new hull ashore and 
moving an old cabin on it. The lady who owns 
the hotel and drug store has mocking birds for 



124 "^^E HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

sale, $25.00 for a singer — lady birds not worth 
selling. 

Got off near 9 a. m., for Greenville. 



January ist, 1904. — We left Arkansas City on 
the 30th, at 9 a. m., and reached Greenville, Miss., 
that evening just before dark. It is a rambling 
town, behind the levee, about 10,000 people, but 
evidently has considerable business. Twenty-five 
mills of various kinds are there. Supplies higher 
than since leaving Chicago^ — 15 cents for meat of 
any sort, 35 cents for eggs or butter, 25 cents for 
a dozen fine large shell oysters from New Or- 
leans, the first we have met, and which the sick 
woman appreciated $25.00 worth. 

The Desplaines did some business, but many 
of the mills are owned in the cities and the man- 
agers cannot buy here. 

An old negro lives in a little gully washed by 
the rain in. the bank, close to where we tied up. 
He has a little fire, and lies there all night with 
a board on edge to rest his back against. In the 
morning we took him a cup of coffee which he 
took eagerly, but without thanks. An old 
negress brought him something — presumably 



A LEVEE CAMP. 125 

food. Last night it rained some, but this morn- 
ing he was still there. During the day we saw 
him Wiandering about the streets, reminding one 
of a lost dog. 

We left at noon, but as it was still raining it 
was equally uncomfortable going or lying still. 
They tried the tug alongside, but the rudder 
would not swing the big cabinboat and they had 
to return to towing. About 2 p. m. the fog shut 
in so dense that we had to make a landing, pre- 
sumably in Walker's Bend, on the Arkansas side. 
Frank brought off some of the finest persimmons 
we have yet seen. The cabin is so warm that 
some flies have appeared, probably left-overs, 
though the Missis says they have them all the 
winter down here. Picked up a nice lot of drift- 
ing boards for stove. 

Exploration establishes the ifact that we are 
just below Vaucluse Landing, and that the land 
is rich in pecan trees, well laden with nuts, which 
these lazy darkies let go to waste. Frank found 
a store in the neighborhood. Chicot lake, back 
of us, is said to be rich in ducks, and if the fog 
lasts tomorrow we must have some. The putty 
has kept out the rain today very well. We suffer 



126 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

for ventilation, though, and awake in the morn- 
ing with headaches. It is bright moonlight, but 
still foggy. It rained during the night and we 
secured a fine supply of rainwater in the launch 
cover. 



Shiloh Landing, Miss., Jan. 3, 1904. — We lay 
last night at Wilson's Point, La., and all night 
we listened to the creaking of our fenders against 
the side, and felt the heave of the tug as she 
surged against our side under the influence of a 
driving northwest wind. Said wind carried us 
along yesterday for a run of over 44 miles, some- 
times with and at others against us, as the river 
curved. It was' a cold wind and made the cabin 
fire comfortable. Two sailboats passed us going 
down, one a two-master from Chicago and the 
other the Delhi, from Michigan City. They made 
good with the wind. There was a large trading 
boat with stern wheel above our landing, but we 
did not visit her. 

About I p. m. we ran in here, and the tug 
people stopped because Mr. Rogers' brother was 
in charge. We ,found a levee camp with 36 tents, 
and examined the commissary with interest. Got 



A LEVEE CAMP. 



127 



some canned oysters for the Missis. No milk 
or eggs, fresh meat or chickens. The men all 
carry big 44s, and sometimes use them, we hear. 
It grows colder— at 5 p. m. temperature outside 
30 — ^and the cold is harder to bear than a much 
lower one up north. Every few miles there is a 
landing, and a pile of cotton bales and bags of 
seed waiting for the Delta or American, fine 
steamers that ply between Vicksburg and Green- 
ville. 

The great, greedy river, forever eating its 
banks, which crumble into the current constantly, 
even now when the water is so low. Every sand 
bar has its wrecks, and opposite Lake Providence 
we saw men and teams busy over the coal in 
sunken barges. 



Monday, Jan. 4, we left Shiloh at 7:20, clear 
and cold, temperature 28, moon shining, but the 
sun not yet visible from behind the bluff. 

Yesterday we passed the steamer City of 
Wheeling, fast on a bar, and we hear she has 
been there for two months — grounded on her 
first trip. But the water is rising and she ex- 
pects to be soon released. 



CHAPTER XVII. 



VICKSBURG. 

Thursday, Jan. 7. 1904. — We arrived at 
Vicksburg in the afternoon of Monday, Jan. 4, 
and were much impressed by the beauty of the 
city as seen from the river. Spread along the 
heights it looks like a large city, though it only 
claims a population of about 22,000. Contrary 
to expectation we found it busy, with evidences 
of life and enterprise. The Government has built 
a levee which blocks up the mouth of the Yazoo, 
and by a canal diverted the water of that river 
into the channel that runs along the front of the 
city ; the old bed of the river Mississippi previous 
to 1876, when it cut a new bed for itself and 
threatened to leave the historic fortress an in- 
land town. 

Just before reaching the city we met a row of 
whirlpools reaching across the channel, whose 
violence would make a man in a skiff feel queer. 
These are the only notable ones we have seen, ex- 
cept just before reaching Arkansas City. 

128 



VICKSBURG. 129 

The Desplaines could not tow us against the 
swift current in the Yazoo, so left the houseboat 
about 300 yards up that stream and steamed up 
to the city. After visiting the postofhce we start- 
ed to walk back along 'the levee, reaching the 
place we had left the boat just before dark. She 
was not there, and we walked along the bank 
up stream till it grew too dark to see, then got 
lost among the railway buildings till directed by 
a friendly youth to the street where the cars ran. 
Reached the tug at last, and the owner took us 
back with a lantern along the levee, finding the 
boat in the great river, the boys having dropped 
down out of the Yazoo. As we received the 
flukes for our launch, which Taylor put on, we 
concluded to part company from the tug, and set- 
tled up with them. Meanwhile the quarreling 
among her crew came to a climax and Jake was 
set on shore by them. He was pilot, cook, hunter 
and general all-round utility man, coming for the 
trip without wages, and it seems to us suicidal 
for them to dismiss him, when negro roustabouts 
are refusing $4.00 a day from the steamers, and 
engineers impossible to secure at any price. We 
were full handed, but liked Jake, so we took him 



130 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

aboard as a supernumerary till he could do bet- 
ter. 

The 6th was dull and rainy but we got off, and 
ran about 16 miles in the afternoon, tying up 
somewhere in Diamond* Bend, probably below 
Moore's Landing. 

At V. had a letter from J. J., saying he had 
been sentenced to a year in the workhouse and 
$50.00 fine for carrying weapons. 

During the night it rained heavily, and we 
caught a fine lot of rainwater in the launch cover. 
One learns to appreciate this on the river. 

During the afternoon we saw a negro shoot 
from the bank directly down on a few geese, of 
which he wounded one. It swam across the river 
and we got out the skiff and followed. On shore 
it crouched down as if dead, and waited till Jim 
got within ten feet, when it got up and flew 
across the river. We followed, and he shot it 
with a rifle when about 150 yards off. 

By that time we were miles below the darky, 
and as he has no boat we fear he will not be on 
hand to put in a claim for the goose. We bought 
one at V. for 90 cents ; also eight jack-snipe for 
a dollar. Roast beef was I2i/^ cents for round, 



VICKSBURG. 131 

25 for rib, and 17^ for corned beef. Milk 10 
cents a quart from wagon, buttermilk 20 cents a 
gallon, butter, 30 for creamery and 25 for coun- 
try. 



Waterproof Cutoff, Friday, Jan. 8, 1904. — We 
ran about 23 miles on the 7th, the engine 
simply refusing to go; and we drifted most of 
the time. Once we got fast on a nasty snag and 
it took all our force to get off. We tied up to a 
sand bar near Hard Times Landing, in the bend 
of that name. Bluff and the children had a re- 
freshing run ou the sand. Got off today at 8 a. 
m., and by 10 the engine started off in good shape 
and has been running well all day. The weather 
is clear and warm, thermometer standing at ^2 
this afternoon. Little wind, but that from the 
south. Some clouds betoken a possible rain. Our 
first wild goose for dinner on the 6th, and all 
liked it well. 



Saturday, Jan. 9, 1904.— We ran about forty 
miles yesterday, tying up above L'Argent in a 
quicksandy nook. At 4 this morning these lazy 
boys got up and started to float, making several 



132 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

miles before daybreak. It is foggy at 8 and the 
sun invisible, but warm and with little wind. 
The launch is running fitfully. Passed Hole-in- 
the-Wall and now opposite Quitman Bluff. 



Jan. 10, 1904. — Yesterday we reached Natchez 
at I p. m., and by 4 had got our mail and sup- 
plies and were off down the river. The engine 
balked under the influence of a lower tempera- 
ture, and we had only made about five miles when 
we had to tie up on account of the darkness. It 
rained hard. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



RIVER PIRATES. 

We had had our suppers, the children and 
Missis had gone to bed, and we were about fol- 
lowing them, when through the rain we heard 
someone get upon the front deck. It was rain- 
ing hard. We called out, asking who was there. 
A man replied in a wheedling voice, saying that 
he was alone, lost in the rain, and wished to re- 
main till it was light enough to see his way. We 
asked who he was, and he responded that he was 
a prominent citizen of the neighborhood and 
asked us to open up the cabin a little bit. The 
doors are on the sides, and he was evidently puz- 
zled as to how to get into the cabin. We were 
undressed and told him we could not let him in ; 
but he insisted. We called to the boys to see 
what was wanted, thinking it might be some one 
in trouble ; so Jake went out. The man began to 
talk pretty saucily, but then Jim and Frank got 
out, and at once his tone changed. He suddenly 
got very drunk, though perfectly sober a moment 



133 



134 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

before. Another man turned up also, in a skiff 
alongside. He gave a rambling incoherent ac- 
count of why he was there; but the other man 
called angrily ,for him to come on, and soon they 
left, rowing into the darkness. The man who 
came aboard was about 5 feet 6; 45, red- faced, 
deep-set eyes ; his hat drawn well over his face ; 
rather heavily set. The other was a sulky-faced 
man about 25, with light hair. That they were 
river pirates there is not a doubt; and had we 
been short-handed there would have been trouble. 

Next morning we set out, slowly floating with 
a little headwind, through a fog. Temperature 
at 8 a. m., 50. Natchez-under-the-hill has dis- 
appeared under the assaults of the river, and with 
it the wild characters that made it famous, or 
rather notorious. The city is now said to be as 
orderly and safe as any in the south. We now 
get fine gulf oysters at 50 cents to $1 a hundred. 
They come in buckets. Shell oysters are still 
rare. We got a small bunch of bananas at 
Natchez^ for 60 cents. 

We passed Morville, floating about three miles 
an hour. We have never been able to secure any 
data as to the speed of the current in the rivers. 



RIVER PIRATES. 1 35 

Jan. II, 1904. — We ran 42 miles yesterday, to 
near Union Point, tying up to a sand bar. The 
boys crossed to a railway camp and were told 
game was very abundant, so that it was hardly 
safe for a single man to go out with the hounds 
at night— bear, panther and cat. We had a head 
wind all day, from the west, sometimes strong 
enough to raise a few whitecaps, and the engine 
did her stunt of bucking — which shows what she 
is good for when in good humor. Temperature 
went up to 72 and hung around 70 all day. This 
morning at 8 it is 42. The children and dog had 
a much needed run on the sand. The boy needs 
much exercise and laboriously chops at the heav- 
iest wood he can find. 



CHAPTER XIX. 



THE ATCHAFALAYA. 

By lunch time we reached the mouth of the Red 
River, and found a rapid current running into it 
from the Mississippi. We landed on the bar and 
sent to town for mail, but found the postoffice 
had been moved to Torrasdale, several miles 
away — ^and after walking up there found no let- 
ters. At 3 p. m. we started up the Red, rapid, 
crooked, much in need of the services of a snag 
boat; weather so warm the invalid came out on 
deck for an hour or more. Turned into the 
Atchafalaya about 5 p. m., a deep stream, said to 
be never less than 50 feet deep. The same shelv- 
ing banks as the great river, formed by the con- 
tinual caving. We found a bed of pebbles at the 
mouth of the Red and really they were like old 
friends. Stone is a rarity here. 

We tied up a little way beyond Elmwood 
Landing. Henceforth we have neither charts 
nor lights, but we have a born pilot in Jake, and 
he will pull us through. A bad day for the 
asthma, in spite of the warmth. 

136 



THE ATCHAFALAYA. 1 37 

Jan. 12, 1904. — If solitude exists along the 
Atchafalaya it is not here. The left bank is 
leveed and roofs appear about every loo yards. 
The right bank is lined with little trees growing 
down to and into the water. At Benson's Land- 
ing, or Simmesport, the right bank begins a 
levee; there is the inevitable gas launch, a tug, 
and numerous other craft, with a fish market. 
The wind blows dead ahead, and raises waves 
nearly as big as in the big river. Pretty bum 
houseboats, apparently occupied by blacks. Some 
noble trees with festoons of Spanish moss. No 
nibbles on the trotline last night, but a huge fish 
heaved his side out of the water just now. Alli- 
gator gar. 

Pleasant traveling now. All day long we have 
voyaged along the Atchafalaya with a wind from 
— where? It requires a compass to determine 
directions here. In fact the uncertainty of things 
usually regarded as sure is singular. Now up 
north we know just where the sun is going to 
rise ; but here the only certainty about it is its un- 
certainty. Now it comes up in the east — that is, 
over the east bank of the river; but next day it 
may appear in the west, north or south. 



138 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

The wind was against us all morning, but since 
lunch — which w'e had at Woodside — it has been 
back of us or sideways, and has driven us along. 
Fine levees line the banks. Just now we are pass- 
ing a camp at work. It is a noble river, wide and 
deep, with a current about as swift as the great 
river. Even now% when the Barbre gauge shows 
6% feet above low water only, there is no ob- 
struction to navigation by as large steamers as 
plow the Mississippi. Now and then a little spire 
or black stack peeping above the levee shows the 
presence of a village. Temperature hovers about 
62. Only a solitary brace of ducks seen in this 
river as yet. 

All afternoon we have been pursuing Melville. 
At 3 p. m. it was four miles away ; an hour later 
it was five miles off, and at 5 we had gotten with- 
in three miles of the elusive town. We concluded 
to stop, in hopes it might get over its fear and 
settle down ; so tied up. We ascended the levee, 
and a boy told us the town was within half a 
mile. The river is lonely, not a steamer since 
leaving the mouth of Red, where the Little Rufus 
came down and out, politely slowing up as she 
neared the cabin boat, to avoid rocking us. An 



THE ATCHAFALAYA. 1 39 

occasional skiff is all we see, though the landing 
is common, but no cotton or seed, nothing but 
lumber. 

We were correct as to our estimate of the vis- 
itors we had the other night — river pirates. Their 
method is to come on rainy nights when the dogs 
are under cover. By some plausible story they 
gain admittance to the cabin and then — ? Have 
the windows guarded by stout wire screens, the 
doors fitted with bars, and a chain. Any visitor 
to a cabin boat after night is a thief, and on occa- 
sion a murderer. If he desires admittance after 
being told you are not a trader or whisky boat, 
open the chain and when he tries to enter shoot 
him at once. It is the sheerest folly to let one of 
those fellows have the first chance. No jury in 
the world would fail to congratulate you for rid- 
ding the river of such a character. There are no 
circumstances that can be imagined in which an 
honest man would act in the way these men did. 
If they wanted shelter from the rain the shore 
was handy. If they mistook the boat for friends, 
the mistake was apparent and they knew very 
well they had no business to continue their visit. 



140 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

Wednesday, Jan. 13, 1904. — Made a good 
start. We got under way about 8 130, and Melville 
bridge soon came in view. The day is clear and 
warm, water smooth as glass, with no percep- 
tible current, and the engine starts off as if noth- 
ing ever ruffled her temper. 



CHAPTER XX. 



MELVILLE— FIRST DEER HUNT. 

Melville^ La., Jan. 19, 1904. — We found 
this a quiet little town of 600 people, including 
negroes ; with sufficient stores for our simple 
needs, and a daily mail east and west. We found 
some pleasant young gentlemen here, with plenty 
of leisure and hounds, and some of us go out for 
deer every day. So far no one has brought in 
any venison, but Jim and Frank have had shots. 

The thermometer stands at about 60 to 70 all 
day ; fires are superfluous except at night for the 
weak one, the grass and clover show up green in 
spots, and really we seem to have skipped winter. 
In the swamps the palmettoes raise their broad 
fans, the live oaks rear their brawny trunks, and 
bits of green life show up on all sides. Really, 
we do not see what excuse the grass has for be- 
ing brown, if it be not simple force of habit, or 
recollection of a northern ancestry. 

The negro women wear extraordinary sun- 
bonnets, huge flaring crowns with gay trimming. 

141 



142 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

The foreigners are Italians or Greeks; and are 
in the fruit and grocery trade. An old super- 
annuated Confed. brings us a small pail of milk 
daily, for which he gets 10 cents a quart. 

The river is leveed 15 miles down, and the sys- 
tem is being extended southward. There is a 
difference of opinion as to the levees, some claim- 
ing they are injurious as preventing the eleva- 
tion of the land by deposit of mud; while one 
large sugar raiser said it would be impossible to 
raise crops without them. The truth seems to be 
that the immediate needs require the levees ; but 
if one could let the land lie idle, or take what 
crops could be raised after the floods subside, it 
would be better for the owner of the next cen- 
tury to let in the water. 

We have had our first deer hunt. Six of us, with 
four hounds, set out in the launch. Arriving at 
the right place we disembarked and walked 
through the woods about a mile, the dogs hav- 
ing meanwhile started out independently. Here 
they located us, in a small clear space, and the 
rest went on to their respective stands. We 
looked about us and were not favorably im- 
pressed with our location. It was too open. Deer 



MELVILLE. DEER HUNTING. I43 

coming ifrom any quarter would see us long be- 
fore we could see them. So we selected a spot 
where we could sit. down on a log, in the shade 
of a huge cypress, with the best cover attainable, 
and yet see all over the clearing. Then we 
waited. 

By and by we heard a noise as of breaking 
twigs to one side. We crouched down and held 
our breath, getting the rifle up so as to allow it 
to bear in the right direction. Waited. A little 
more noise, but slight. Waited. No more. Sat 
till our backs got stiff and feet cold. Then care- 
fully and quietly paced up and down the path. 
Sat down again. Concluded to eat lunch, an ex- 
pedient that rarely fails to start the ducks flying. 
No good for deer. 

Shifted position, walked up the path to a 
bunch of hollies, laden with berries. A bird was 
at them, and as by this time our faith in deer 
was growing cool we concluded to take a shot at 
a robin. Did so. Missed him— but to our horror 
and relief he turned out to be a mocking bird ! 

Walked up the path and found a sluggish 
bayou with running water across it. Weren't 
thirsty, but doubted the wisdom of drinking that 



144 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

water, and that made us thirsty. Circled around 
the center of our clearing. Noted the way the 
cypresses throw up stumps from the roots. Saw 
a big turtle in the bayou. Red- birds came about, 
but no robins — they are game birds here. 
Searched the trees for squirrels — none there, 
thought of everything we could recollect — even 
began to enumerate our sins — and got into an 
animated discussion with a stranger on the negro 
question, awaking with a start. Shot at a hawk 
that roosted on a tree just out of gunshot. Scared 
him, anyhow. 

Finally, when desperate with the task of finding 
expedients to keep us awake, we heard a horn 
blown — or wound? — and not knowing but that 
some one might be lost, whistled shrilly in reply. 
Occasionally a shot was heard here and there; 
once in a moon the dogs gave tongue in the re- 
mote distance. Finally one of the boys appeared, 
then the old uncle, and the rest came stringing in. 
One had seen a deer but did not get a shot at it. 
So we took up the line of march for the river, 
where the launch returned us to the cabin boat. 
And so ended our first deer hunt. 

We have now been at it a week, and several 



MELVILLE. DEER HUNTING. I45 

of the boys have had shots at the animals, but 
no horns decorate our boat, nor does venison 
fill our craving stomachs. There are deer here, 
their evidences are as plain as those of sheep in a 
pasture. But the only benefit they have been to 
us is in the stimulation of the fancy. The weird 
and wonderful tales spun by those who have had 
shots at the elusive creatures, to account for the 
continued longevity and activity of their targets, 
are worth coming here to hear. Surely never did 
deer go through such antics ; never did the most 
expert tumbler in any circus accomplish such 
feats of acrobatic skill. The man who catches 
flying bullets in his teeth should come down here 
and receive instruction from these deer. 

We took the Missis and daughter over to 
Baton Rouge, and installed them in a huge, old- 
fashioned room, on Church St., a block from the 
postoffice and the leading stores; with a lady of 
means, who sets an excellent table, lavishly 
spread, and with the best of cookery, at a price 
that seems nominal to us. The lofty ceilings 
seem doubly so after the low deck of the cabin; 
the big canopied bed of walnut and quilted silk 
recalls the east ; while violets, camellias, hya- 



146 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

cinths and narcissus blooming in the open air, as 
well as sweet olive, and the budding magnolias, 
make one realize that the frozen north is not a 
necessity. 



January 23, 1904. — We find Melville a very 
good place to stay — supplies plentiful, the people 
pleasant, and the place safe. The boys go out 
ifor deer every day, but as yet no success has re- 
warded them. One day they chased a doe into 
the river, where two boys caught her with their 
hands and slaughtered her. Bah ! 

The weather has been ideal — ^^warm enough to 
make a fire oppressive save nights and mornings 
— but we are now having a cold snap, whose se- 
verity would make you northern folk, who sit in 
comfort over your registers, shiver. We have 
actually had a white frost two nights in succes- 
sion. Fact ! 

On the shore close by roost at least 100 buz- 
zards. They are protected and seem aware of it ; 
roosting on the roof of the fish boat below us. 
They tell us the sharks come up here so that 
bathing is unsafe, and tell queer stories of the 
voracity and daring of the alligator gars. The 



MELVILLE. DEER HUNTING. I47 

alligator is by no means extinct in Louisiana, be- 
ing still found of gigantic size in the bayous. 

Little is said here on the negro question, which 
seems to be settled so well that no discussion is 
needed. 

Day after day we sit at the typewriter and the 
work grows fast. Tomorrow we go to Bar- 
row's convict camp for a shoot, and quite a lot 
have gathered, and are waiting till the engine 
chooses to start. Every day we have to push the 
boat from shore or we might be hard aground in 
the morning, as we are today. The water fell 
last night till it uncovered six feet of mud by the 
shore. The river is said to be over loo feet deep 
opposite. The bridge is built on iron tubular 
piers that seem to be driven down till they strike 
a stratum capable of supporting the weight. 
These are said to be lOO feet deep. 



January 24, 1904, we all went down to Capt. 
Barrow's camp for a deer hunt, which possessed 
no features differing from those of the five pre- 
ceding. At 4 p. m. we quit, and started on our 
return. But the dogs had not come in, so when 
we got up to the old convict camp we stopped, 



148 THE HOUSEBOAT ROOK. 

and Budd and Jake went back for them. And 
there we w^aited till after 10 p. m. It grew quite 
cool so that the boys built a fire. Just on the 
bluff above us was an old deserted house, about 
ready to fall into the river when the banks shall 
have crumbled away a little more. We found in 
it an ancient mahogany four-post bedstead and a 
spinning-wheel, an old horn powderhorn, and 
other relics of antiquity. 

There were our own party of four, Budd and 
Wally, Thomassen and his son "Sugar," Mr. 
Sellers (from one of the Melville stores), and 
two negro hunters, Brown and Pinkham — and 
right worthy men and good hunters they are. The 
fire was fed by beams from the old house, and as 
its cheerful warmth was felt, the scene would 
have been a worthy one for an artist's pencil. The 
odd stories and ceaseless banter of the negroes 
and the boy were enhanced by the curious dialect. 
Constantly one blew his horn, and was answered 
by the party who were out, or by others; and 
some one else was blowing for other lost dogs, 
so that the woods were musical. An old hound 
had come in early, tired out, and when the horns 
blew he would try to get off, but was tied ; so he 



MELVILLE. DEER HUNTING. I49 

would give vent to his discontent in the most 
doleful of long-drawn-out howls, like a pro- 
longed note from an owl. At last boys and 
hounds came in, and we were home to our boat 
by midnight. 

Somehow the yoke once worn till thoroughly 
fitted to the neck, becomes a part of the bearer ; 
and the best contented of the negroes were those 
who held with their old masters. Even the 
shackles of civilization become attractive in time 
— and we have resumed the reading of a daily 
paper since we can get it regularly. And we like 
the Picayune, finding in its editorials a quiet dig- 
nity that we appreciate, even though we may not 
agree with the political sentiments. And there is 
an air of responsibility about it ; a consciousness 
that what it says counts, and must therefore be 
preceded by due deliberation, that is novel. The 
local color is also attractive. For instance the 
river news, and— the jackstaffs! Now, don't 
say you do not know what jackstaffs are. We 
will not spoil it by telling. And Lagniappe ! 



CHAPTER XXI. 



BATON ROUGE— THE PANTHER. 

Baton Rouge, La., Feb. i, 1904. — While you 
in the North are wrestUng with zero tempera- 
tures, we are experiencing what these folk term 
terrible winter weather. Men go about with 
heavy overcoats buttoned up to the chin, and I 
saw one the other day with a tall coonskin cap, 
with folds down over his neck, and earflaps. An 
open-grate fire is comfortable in the mornings 
and tempers the chill of night for the little one. 
Even the Chicago man finds a light overcoat 
advisable in the mornings, though with light- 
weight underwear and thin outer clothes. 

Nevertheless, the violets bloom everywhere, 
jonquils, polyanthus narcissus, camellias and 
sweet olive are in bloom, and the big rose 
bushes are covered with leaves and buds that 
already show the color of the flower. The grass 
is green in New Orleans parks, and the magno- 
lias are budding. Masses of chickweed cover 
the margins of drains and several plants of un- 

150 



BATON ROUGE. THE PANTHER. I5I 

known lineage — to the writer — are in bloom. 
And this is the weather to which we constantly 
hear the epithet "terrible" applied here. 

But residents of the North who were raised 
in Dixie do not freeze. Exposure to cold brings 
with it the ability to withstand it, and not only 
that but all other morbific influences as well. It 
increases the vitality, the power of resisting all 
noxious powers that threaten the health and life 
of man. 

But this applies to the sound and well, not to 
those who' already possess a material lesion of 
one or more organs. For them this soft, balmy 
air, this temperature that permits a maximum of 
exposure to the open air, are health-giving, life- 
prolonging, comfort-securing. 

People speak of the sudden changes here — 
warm today and tomorrow cold — as objection- 
able; but so they do everywhere, and we have 
found no more changeability than elsewhere. 
And as to the rains : When it does rain it pours, 
but most of it has been at night so far, and dur- 
ing the day it dries off nicely. It is said that 
this is the rainy month, and we may have to 
modify this view later. So far the rains have 



152 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

not been a feature worthy of citation, as against 
the climate. 

Much attention has been given the drinking 
water of late years in the riverine cities, and 
generally they have water on which they pride 
themselves. Artesian wells are mostly utilized. 
The river water is muddy and unsightly, but 
probably safe and certainly palatable. We de- 
pend on our Puritan still, and a tripoli filter, and 
utilize the rain water we catch in the canvas 
cover of the launch. No trouble has as yet af- 
fected us from this source; and we are satisfied 
it pays well to take precautions. 

From St. Louis down the river fairly bristles 
with opportunities for men who understand 
business and have a little capital. But timber 
lands are pretty well taken up. An Ohio party 
paid $ioo an acre for lOO acres here in this 
Atchafalaya country the other day. 

The people? Well, we have simply adopted 
the whole — 'white — population, and find them 
delightful. There has not been a discordant 
note in our intercourse with this warm-hearted, 
hospitable folk, who unite the courtesy of the 



BATON ROUGE. THE PANTHER. 1 53 

French with a sincerity that makes itself felt 
every moment. 

Dogs ! Everyone seems to own hounds here. 
We had a few runs with them ; they came aboard 
and inspected us, and after due deliberation ap- 
proved of us, took up their home with us and 
declined to stay away; so that at night one 
can scarcely set foot outside the cabin without 
stepping on a sleeping hound. Even the women 
folk are disarmed when these dogs look up with 
their big, beautiful eyes and nuzzle their cold 
noses intO' the hand for a caress. One great fel- 
low reared up against us, placed his paws on 
our shoulders and silently studied our face 
awhile, then dropped to the ground and hence- 
forth devoted himself to us, never being far 
from our side. We felt complimented ! 

Go out with the gun, and see how these 
slumberous animals awake to joyous life and 
activity. Then the long, musical bay, the ring- 
ing of the hunters' horns, the quick dash of the 
deer past your stand, with the dogs after, in full 
cry — say, brother, these low lands when leveed, 
cleared and cultivated, will yield two bales of 
cotton to the acre, and with cotton at 15 cents 



154 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

and over, is not that splendid? So shut your 
ears against the cry of the wild, and only con- 
sider what Progress means, and how the indi- 
dividual and civic wealth is increasing as 
these wild lands are brought under the plow and 
made productive of dollars. For is not all of 
life simply a question o,f dollars, and success 
measurable only in the bank account? So put 
away from you the things that make life worth 
living, and devote yourself with a whole heart 
to the task of making your son a millionaire, 
that he may make his son a multimillionaire, 
and so on. It will do you so much good in the 
Great Beyond to know this. That the money 
for which we give up all that renders life en- 
joyable will either render our descendants dissi- 
pated and useless, or enable them to oppress 
their fellowmen^ need not be considered. Money 
is all there is in life. 

The wife, daughter and Doctor are domiciled 
at Baton Rouge, while the boys took the boats 
down to Alabama Bayou for a week w^ith the 
big game. Here is the small boy's report, ver- 
batim : 



BATON ROUGE. THE PANTHER. 1 55 

Dear Mama and Papa : You talk about us 
not sending- you any venison. If I had any 
money I would send you enough to make you 
sick. I went hunting with the boys this morn- 
ing. Jim, Hudson and I went together. Bud 
drove with the dogs. Jake and Frank went to- 
gether. Frank took his shotgun and he got lost 
from Jake, went to- shooting robins. Jake got on 
an island and did not know where he got on at: 
He had to wade a stream two feet deep. After 
we had been looking for a stand we heard a shot 
behind us, and then a rifle shot to the right of 
us, and three blows of Bud's horn, which means 
dead deer. Jake was the first one to him, being 
only 300 yards. We walked two and one-half 
miles before we got to him. When we got there 
he had a big doe laying over a log. Bud drew 
him and they took turns carrying him home. 
Every tooth in my head aches from chewing ven- 
ison. How are all of you? I waded about 30 
ditches today over my shoe tops and one over my 
knees. Bud said if I followed the dogs with 
him he would give me first shot, and if I missed 
>he would get him. Millie made me a belt to fit 
the rifle cartridges. I christened my axe in deer 



156 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

blood. Bud said Queen was 10 feet behind it, 
King- 20 feet and Diamond ran up and threw the 
deer after it was shot. Then it got up and 
Diamond got it in the throat and brought it 
down. I will have to close as it is time to go to 
bed. V/ith love to all, William. 

Not bad for an 11 -year-old. Everyone has 
been complaining of the terrible weather here — 
frost three nights last week, and a light over- 
coat not oppressive, though it is hardly necessary 
except for the tendency one has to put his hands 
in his pockets otherwise. We asked one of the 
natives what they would do in Chicago with zero 
weather, and he replied with an air of conviction : 
"Freeze to death." 

We have a nibble for the boat. The river at 
Memphis is so full of floating ice that the ferry 
boats cannot run ; and that looks as if we might 
not be able ^to get our boats towed to St. Louis 
before late spring — and we want to be free. We 
note blooming in the open many violets, polyan- 
thus narcissus, camellias, sweet olive, magnolias 
just budding out, and white hyacinths. The 
grass is putting up green shoots. Large beds of 
chickweed are plentiful. The vinca was nipped 



BATON ROUGE. THE PANTHER. 1 57 

by frost last night. Next door is a fine palmetto 
and the great roses covering the gallery are full 
of green leaves and the remains of the last crop 
of blossoms, with new buds coming out. What 
a terrible winter! 

There is a street fair here. These people go 
about the country and exhibit wdierever they find 
a town that will pay them, their price here being, 
it is said, $2,000 for a week. The Red Men pay 
them, and probably the merchants subscribe to it, 
the business brought to town compensating them. 
There are a number of attractions, like a little 
splinter broken off the poorest part of Atlantic 
City. But it gives something to see and do and 
talk about, to a town where there is too little of 
either for the demand. There are a huge and a 
dwarf horse, glass blowers, a human dwarf, con- 
tortionist, jubilee singers, kinetoscope, trained 
dogs and monkeys, dissolving statue, and of 
course the nigger babies and knives to throw at 
and miss. We have run against these aggrega- 
tions all the way down, and they are evidently 
becoming a feature of the smaller towns. 

Curious place for a State Capital. In our room 
stands a fine walnut wardrobe with a door 



158 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

broken open ; and there is not a mechanic in the 
city who can mend it. Glass is broken, and it 
remains so ; any quantity of miscellaneous mend- 
ing and repairing needed, but it stands. The 
sunny south is a bit slipshod; the ladies are de- 
lightful, but they do not work their finger ends 
off cleaning out the last possibilities of dust and 
dirt — they leave it to the darkies, who do what 
they cannot avoid doing and stop right there. 



That our boys are not devoid of descriptive 
ability — and imagination? — this chapter, written 
by Franks will demonstrate. 

*'At Melville, on the Atchafalaya, we became 
acquainted with some young men who had a fine 
pack of deer hounds. They also call these ''nig- 
ger dogs," because they are employed for trail- 
ing convicts who escape from the camps along 
the river. 

"Early in the morning our hunting party gath- 
ered on the levee — ^the Doctor, Budd Tell, his 
brother Wylie, and two uncles, and four of us. 
The old men were settlers and hunters of bob- 
cat, deer, panther, bear and other game. They 
said they had killed 160 deer in one winter, and 



BATON ROUGE. THE PANTHER. 1 59 

though we doubted this, we afterward found it 
was true. 

"We penetrated the woods till a desirable spot 
was reached, and here Budd posted us on our 
stands. These are places clear of underbrush for 
a space, so that the hunter may see to shoot any- 
thing that invades his location. One man re- 
mains with the dogs, termed the driver. He was 
left about two miles behind. When all had been 
placed the signal was given, to start the dogs. 
Soon we could hear the music of their baying, as 
it did not take long for them to strike a deer trail, 
and a fresh one at that. The chase led in the 
Doctor's direction and presently we heard him 
shoot — and he had downed his first deer. He got 
two that day. I shot one, and Budd got a little 
fat doe. The others were fine bucks, weighing 
175, 150 and 123 lbs. At least we thought so, 
after taking turns packing them, on a pole ; and 
that was the only scale we had ; so we think it 
was legal, under the circumstances. 

**As we were returning to the boat with ouf 
four deer, two men to each, one man could be 
taking it easy alj the time. Somehow the bunch 
got separated in the cypress swamp, and sudden- 



l6o THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

ly we heard the scream of a panther. Then there 
were a number of shots, and after that silence, 
for a couple of minutes. Then came a rifle shot. 
Jake and I being together, we hurried in the 
direction of the shots. Soon we heard a noise 
that we could not make out the cause of. We 
were still packing the deer. Then we came in 
sight of the Doctor, stooping over Budd's 
brother. Close by lay a dead panther. Budd's 
breast and arms were badly torn by the claws of 
the animal, and his brother had a scalp wound 
and was insensible. However, we all turned in 
to help, and he was soon on his feet, somewhat 
damaged and rather faint, but still in the ring. 

''The panther had sprang on them from a tree, 
knocking Wylie down, then turning on Budd 
who attacked the animal as soon as he realized 
what was the trouble. The panther started for 
him like a cyclone and had his shirt and some 
skin jerked off in less time than it takes for me 
to tell it. Budd says he sure thought his time 
had come, and being somewhat of a church mem- 
ber he put up a little call for help. Just then 
the Doctor ran up, and by a lucky shot disabled 
the beast, which was soon dispatched. He got 



BATON ROUGE. THE PANTHER. i6l 

the hide. The panther weighed over loo lbs. 
and measured 5 feet 10 inches from nose to tip 
of tail. 

''As Budd and Wylie were too weak to carry 
the deer, the big cat was allotted to them, and 
two of us took each a deer till we got out of the 
timber, about dark. We reached the boat at 6 
p. m., very tired. But we had had our fun, and 
some of us had had an experience not usual even 
to houseboat travelers. And we got the panther 
—though it came very near getting two of the 
best fellows to be found in the south." 

Unfortunately the prize so highly valued was 
lost. The skin was stretched out and placed on 
the roof to dry; that night the wind blew, and 
next morning the skin had disappeared. The 
one now ornamenting the Doctor's den was pur- 
chased to replace the original. 

Will some one explain how it happens that an 
indifferent shot, when brought in face of such 
a proposition will make an unerring snap shot, 
when a slight deviation would endanger the life 
of the companion? Many years ago, while 
traversing the woods of Pennsylvania, we heard 
our companion cry for help, after two shots close 



l62 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

together. We ran at full speed, and saw him 
standing still, gazing at a huge snake at his feet. 
Even as we ran we brought our double-barrel to 
our shoulder and without taking aim blew the 
serpent's head off. There was no time to aim, 
and had we done so it is doubtful if we could 
have made as good a shot. 



CHAPTER XXII. 



THE BOBCAT. 

Melville, La., Feb. 3, 1904. — Bndd was 
watching some deer down the river, when he saw 
a bobcat come out of the brush near by. He shot 
the cat, when a buck ran out within twenty feet 
of him. He made a quick shot at the buck, got 
him, and then ran after the cat. She had crawled 
under some brush and thinking her dead he 
crawled after her. Just as he caught hold of her 
leg to pull her out she turned on him and flew at 
his chest, in which she embedded her claws. 
There was a lively tussle for a few minutes, 
when he got away, and the cat crawled under a 
log. But when he again attempted to pull her 
out she flew at him, apparently little the worse 
for her wounds ; and it was not till he succeeded 
in cutting her throat that she died. He was pret- 
ty well clawed up, sufficiently to deprive him of 
any further desire to tackle a bobcat, only a few 
of whose lives had been expended. 

Here is a native's sample story : 

163 



164 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

"Father had been troubled by a bear that ate 
his corn, so he sat up one night to get him. He 
noted where the bear came in from the cane- 
brake, and placed himself so that the wind blew 
from that place to his stand. It was bright moon- 
light. Along in the night came Bruin, sniffing 
and grunting. He paused at the fence till satis- 
fied the way was clear, then knocked a rail off 
the top and clambered over. He made his way 
among the com, and rearing up began to pull off 
the ears and eat them. Then dad fired a handful 
of buckshot into him, breaking his shoulder. The 
bear made for the place he had crossed the fence, 
scrambled over, and crashed through the brake. 
Dad marked him down as stopping at a huge 
dead tree that could easily be seen above the 
canes. 

"By this time the shot had aroused the folks, 
and dogs, darkies and men came running out. 
The dogs sought the trail, but the only one that 
found it was a little mongrel tyke, who started 
ofif after the bear and was soon followed by the 
rest. The men tried to keep up, but dad ran 
right for the big tree. A crooked branch across 
his path sprang into a coil and rattled a warning 



THE BOBCAT. 165 

at him. He stopped and gave it the other barrel, 
and ran on. Coming up to the tree there was the 
bear, standing up, and with his one arm raking 
the dogs whenever they ventured within reach. 
Already the bravest showed evidences of his skill. 
One of the men shot him — in fact they all shot, 
and the bear rolled over. Dad went up to him, 
and some one remarked that he must be a tame 
bear, as his ear was nicked. Dad felt the ear, 
and remarked how warm it was — and just then 
the old bear whirled around, reared up, and 
seized dad in a real bear hug. Fortunately it was 
a one-armed hug, and by a quick movement he 
was able to wriggle away, and then one man who 
had not shot put his gun to the bear's ear and 
shot half his head away. On the way home they 
picked up the snake, which was seven feet long, 
and had ii rattles and a button." 



At Shiloh Landing, Miss., our boys were told 
of a negro who ate glass. He came in while they 
were there, and cracked up a lamp chimney and 
ate it, literally and without deception. He said 
he could walk over broken glass without harm. 
He also was impervious to snakes. And while 



l66 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

they talked a huge cotton-mouth copperhead wrig- 
gled out on the floor. There was a unanimous 
and speedy resort to boxes, barrels and tables, 
till the serpent was killed. It seems the negro 
has a fancy for collecting snakes and had brought 
this one in in a box, from which he made his 
escape. 



This morning we went out for robins, and got 
a mess ; Oif which we contributed one — could not 
shoot a little bit. After lunch we waited for the 
mail and then bid good-bye to the kindly folk 
who had made Melville so pleasant to us, and 
started on our journey up the Atchafalaya. The 
river is wider, swifter and bigger than when we 
came down ; and we will be glad to get into the 
great river again. We have quite a collection of 
skins — deer, cat and coon- — gifts of our friends. 
We ran a few miles and then the engine pump 
quit, and we tied up. Fair and clear, warm at 
midday enough to make a vest a burden. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 



ASCENDING THE ATCHAFALAYA. 

Atchafalaya River, Feb. 4, 1904. — There is 
a very perceptible difference between descending 
a river and ascending it. Our gallant little launch 
tinds the cabinboat a difficult proposition against 
the current, as aggravated by the rising floods. 
We made but a few miles yesterday and tied up 
for the night. An unexpected steamer came 
along about 12 130 and gave us a good tumbling. 
She returned later, having doubtless taken in her 
freight at Melville meanwhile. This morning an 
east wind drives us against the shore, so that we 
have to steer out, and that makes it a head wind ; 
so the shore creeps slowly past. It is cloudy and 
feels like rain, though warm. The river is very 
muddy, and full of drift over which the boat 
rumbles constantly. Many doves are seen on the 
trees along shore but, as usual, we are in a hurry 
and cannot stop for sport. 

During the Civil War, we are told, the Atcha- 
falaya could be bridged by three carts, so that 

167 



1 68 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

soldiers could cross. Now it is nowhere less than 
sixty feet deep, and two-fifths of the water of 
the Mississippi go through it to the Gulf. Every 
year it is enlarging, and the day may come when 
the Mississippi will discharge through it alto- 
gether, and Baton Rouge and New Orleans be 
inland cities. This route to^ the Gulf is 150 miles 
shorter. 



Atchafalaya River, Feb. 6, 1904. — We made 
but a short run yesterday, the wind stopping us 
two miles below Oderberg, just within 150 yards 
of a turn around which we had to go to get the 
wind in our favor. But we could not do it. Boy 
and Dr. shot some robins and Jake got a mud 
hen ; and from a passing wagon we secured a 
roast of beef. An old colored woman sold us 
some buttermilk, (for two bits. This morning it 
was rainy and foggy, but under great difficulties 
we pushed ahead and made Simmesport by lunch. 
Here we engaged a gasoline boat to take us 
around into the Mississippi, for seven dollars — 
about 14 miles — and felt we got ofif well at that. 
The current in the Red is said to be too fierce 
for our little boat. We did as well as possible, 



ASCENDING THE ATCHAFALAYA. I69 

by hugging the low shore, and when the one we 
were on became high and eroded we crossed to 
the other. In that way w^e avoided the swift cur- 
rent and often got a back one, or eddy. The 
steamer Electra dogged us all morning, passing 
and stopping at numerous landings till we passed 
her. When we land we find houses quite close 
along either shore. The rural population must 
be large along the leveed part of the river. At 
Simmesport we obtained butter, milk and lard, 
besides crackers and canned oysters. No meat. 
One bunch of brant appeared in the fog this 
morning, but refused to listen to our arguments 
favoring closer acquaintance. 



Red River, Feb. 7, 1904. — That is, we suppose 
you call it the Red, but it is now in truth an out- 
let of the Mississippi. We got to Simmesport, 
had lunch, and arranged with a boy there to tow 
us through to the Mississippi with a 5-horse- 
power gasoline. Hitched it behind, our launch 
alongside, and started. The wind was as often 
contrary as favorable, and we labored up the 
Atchafalaya till we got to Red River. The 
water is decidedly red, but is backed up into the 



170 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

Red by the lordship of the Great River, which 
sweeps up the Old River channel with resistless 
force. None of the Red water gets past Barbre 
Landing, either into the Atchafalaya or the Mis- 
sisippi. We turned into the Red or Old River 
about 2 :30, and by 6 had made about three miles, 
stopping in sight of Turnbull Island Light No. 
2. First the lever of our reversing gear broke, 
and here a log swept under the launch and broke 
the coupling bolt. This had happened the pre- 
ceding day, and we had no extra left, so had to 
stop as the other boat alone could make no head- 
way against the swift current. As it was, with 
both boats we had to coast along as close as pos- 
sible to the shore, where the current was slowest, 
to make any progress at all. In the middle we 
were swept back. The boys left us to return to 
Simmesport, where they were to make new 
coupling bolts and return here this morning. We 
had a sleepless night. All day it was foggy and 
rainy; in the night occasional showers pattered 
on the roof; and floating wood rumbled under 
the boat. The water is full of this stuff and it is 
impossible to prevent it going under the scow, 
where it sticks and retards progress or emerges 



ASCENDING THE ATCHAFALAYA. I7I 

to foul our propeller. This morning it is still 
sticky, showery and slightly foggy ; temperature 
at 9 a. m., 72. When the steamer rocked us the 
other night Jake and Doctor turned out in their 
nightgowns to fend ofif, and then stood leaning 
over the rail talking for a time. Catch cold, turn- 
ing out of a warm bed in January ? Naw ! What- 
chergivinus ? This terrible winter weather ! 

About 1 1 :3o the boys returned with the tug 
and new bolts for our coupler. We had hard 
work getting through the bridge, where the cur- 
rent was fierce ; but by 2 p. m. we were in the 
Mississippi and headed down stream. 



Bayou Sara, Feb. 8, 1904. — We tied up last 
night in Morgan's Bend, after dark. Started to 
float all night, but the fog came up, lightning 
showed in the east, and we thought it wise to 
take no chances. We had the launch hitched be- 
hind and when a steamer passed up quite near, 
it made her leap and try to get her nose under 
the overhang, which might have swamped her. 
This morning we got off at 5 a. m., floating till 
after breakfast, when we set the old churn at 
work. Now the sun is up brightly, a breeze 



172 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

freshening up from the east, which is dead ahead 
just now, and the town in sight. We talk of 
loading the boat with palmettoes for the St. 
Louis fair market, and getting a tow north, if we 
cannot get a fair price for the outfit. 

By 9 we reached Bayou Sara, where we in- 
creased our crew by three of Louisiana's fair 
ladies, and at 11 resumed our journey. The wind 
had subsided and we journeyed south over a 
river smooth as glass. Much driftwood annoyed 
us, threatening our propeller blades. The poetry 
of travel today, too warm for the folk to stand in 
the sun. Historic Port Hudson was soon before 
us. It is now back from the river, Port Hickey 
being its successor. Temperature 80 at 2 p; m. 
This terrible winter ! We are counting the miles 
between us and our dear ones at Baton Rouge. 

We reached Baton Rouge about 6 p. m., hav- 
ing made over 50 miles, and the longest run of 
the trip. 



CPIAPTER XXIV. 



DUCKING AT CATAHOULA LAKE. 

Prof. Handwerker came down to Memphis, 
and we went for a duck shoot. We went by rail 
to Alexandria and chartered a wagon with two 
sketchy ponies and an aged veteran as driver, 
who took us about 20 miles to Catahoula Lake. 
The toll man at the bridge valued our oufit at 
40 cents, and collected the entire price each way. 
The road lay through a lumber country, where 
the yellow pine was being rapidly cut out. Ar- 
riving within a mile of the lake, we concluded, to 
stop with Mr. S., rather than rest our old limbs 
in the doubtful protection of the tent we had 
brought. 

S. lived on a tract he had homesteaded, in a 
"plank-up" house of three rooms. At the end of 
the living room was a large chimney of mud and 
sticks, with andirons, in which a large fire burned 
constantly. There were holes in the chimney of 
a size convenient for the cat to crawl through, 
which the men had not had time to mend. Cracks 

173 



174 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

an inch wide between the plank let in a suffi- 
ciency of air, when the one window — unencum- 
bered with sash and glass — a simple wooden shut- 
ter, swung shut. The family consisted of the 
man, his wife, two sons aged i6 and 12; horses, 
cows, oxen, chickens and numerous pigs. The 
latter were dying off, and we saw numerous 
carcasses in the w^oods, the consequence of a lot 
of diseased animals being brought in by a neigh- 
bor. S. had had a sawmill, and with the aid of 
his sons and wife — the latter the engineer — had 
turned out about 7,000 feet of lumber a day. For 
this he had received his stock; but the wife did 
not feel that they were doing well enough and 
persuaded him to sell the mill and raise cotton. 
They cleared a few acres which they farmed 
till the yield fell off, when they let it lie fallow 
and farmed another bit. They had intended to 
saw up a lot of wood for a new house, but some- 
how it had been neglected, or when a lot had 
been got out some one made a dicker for it. The 
stock of food for the animals had run short, and 
chop sold at the stores for $1.00 a bag for cash, 
$1.60 on credit; so the animals ran in the woods 
and ate Spanish moss. This, we were assured, 



DUCKING AT CATAHOULA LAKE. 1 75 

was a good, nutritious food, when the animals 
got used tO' it. All were very thin. One horse 
looked like a walking skeleton, and in fact died 
during our stay — but then it was so reduced by 
the time it died that the loss was trifling. The 
horses had long since stripped the berries from 
the china berry trees. We were told that eight 
crops of alfalfa had been cut from a field in this 
region last summer; so that it is simply a ques- 
tion of cultivating a few more acres to supply 
proper food to the stock. The five cows gave 
about a quart of milk a day. They were milked 
once a day — if they came up to the house in 
time; if not, it went over till next day. 

Mr. S. was a fine, good-natured man, who did 
not drink, or permit liquor or cards in his house. 
He had some trouble with his shoulder, which 
seriously interfered with his work, though he 
hauled logs to the sawmill, the small boy driving. 
He was very proud of his wife ; vaunting her as 
the best worker in the parish, excepting their 
nearest neighbor; and those two women, he 
averred, could equal any men in farming cotton, 
chopping or sawing wood, and cultivating the 
garden. It was edifying — touching — to see Mrs. 



176 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

S. bridle with pleasure under this well-deserved 
approval. 

The two boys attended to the fires, on alter- 
nate days ; and they sure did show great mathe- 
matical talent, for they could calculate to a cer- 
tainty the exact quantity of wood that sufficed 
for the day and next morning, so as to leave 
over not a scrap for the lessening of the other 
boy's labors. In the evening a huge backlog 
was placed in the big chimney, with two smaller 
pieces underneath, and some cypress under that 
to keep up a blaze. Then all hands gathered 
around, S., the Professor and the aged driver, 
with their pipes, the two boys chewing, and Mrs. 
S., with a little stick projecting from her mouth, 
which puzzled us, till the idea of its significance 
flashed across our mind — snuff! And then they 
set in persistently and systematically to put the 
fire out, by well-directed expectoration. And we 
are bound to say that in accuracy of aim Mrs. S. 
was not behind the menfolk. 

Bedtime came. A big feather-bed was dragged 
out and placed on the fioor in front of the fire, 
some comforters thrown over it, with pillows, 
and we were politely offered our choice of the 



DUCKING AT CATAHOULA LAKE. 177 

bed on the floor or that on the wooden bedstead. 
It was left to us, and we took one apprehensive 
look at the ancient stead— quite undeserved was 
the suspicion— and chose the floor, remarking 
that we could not turn a lady out of her bed. 
This was met with remonstrances on the part of 
these warm-hearted people, but it was left that 
way. The old man and the two boys took the 
other bed, and the seven of us lay down to sleep 
in the one room. First the lady retired to the 
kitchen while we disrobed; then we offered to 
do the same to give her a chance, but this was 
unnecessary, as she didn't disrobe. The old man 
got in bed and lit his pipe; she took a fresh por- 
tion of snuff, and we presume the boys a new 
quid. During the night we occasionally heard 
S. scratching matches to light up. The bed of 
wild duck feathers favorably modified the hard- 
ness of the floor, and we slept well. 

Before daybreak we heard S. lighting up, and 
then, with difficulty, he induced the boy on duty 
to arouse and attend to the fire. Then Mrs. S. 
arose and when we showed signs of conscious- 
ness we had a cup of coffee— black, good qual- 
ity, well sweetened, but without milk. Break- ' 



178 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

fast of smoked pork, more coffee, and hot bread 
— corn or wheat. We may add that this was also 
our dinner and our supper, varied by cracklin' 
bread, hot biscuits, and an occasional pie of ber- 
ries or peaches. Once sweet potatoes and once 
dried peas. If a visitor dropped in, coffee was 
served around. And we had ducks. 

In the morning we hooked up the team and 
went down to the lake. The formation is similar 
to that at Bear River, Utah; broad flats covered 
with a few inches of water, the soil a stiff clay 
that will generally hold a man up, but not always. 
But the people here have no boats, build no 
blinds, and their only idea of duck shooting is to 
crawl on their bellies through the mud till they 
can get a pot shot at a flock of ducks in the water. 
They use heavy loads and No. 2 shot. As we 
did not shoot ducks that way, our success was 
not very great. Still we got as many as we could 
eat — and that's enough. 

The older boy suggested that we cross the lake 
to a group of cypresses, where the shooting was 
good. We waded in about a hundred yards, 
when the wading began to get pretty heavy, our 
feet sinking in over the ankles. The Professor 



DUCKING AT CATAHOULA LAKE. 1 79 

concluded to turn back, and took up his stand by 
a lone cypress near the margin of the water. We 
felt that it was the part of wisdom to do so also ; 
but the boy began to chuckle and a smile of de- 
rision appeared on his face. Now we don't like 
to be "backed down" by a "kid," and he assured 
us the boggy place did not extend far and then 
the bottom became firmer; so we kept on across 
the lake. It was said to be a mile, but it proved 
to be at least ten. We had not gone far when 
we began to realize several things : That the boy 
lied ; that we weighed nearly 200 lbs. ; that the 
borrowed waders we had on were much too 
large ; that though in our life of 54 years we had 
ascertained that we were a great many different 
kinds of a darned fool, this was one more kind. 
The waders were tied to our waist, but soon 
pulled off so that we walked on the legs ; sank in 
over ankles at each step, but had to immediately 
withdraw the foot to keep from going still deep- 
er. We got tired — very tired — but dared not 
stop. Out of breath, the throat burned as if we 
had taken a dose of red pepper, but we could not 
stop for breath. Fell down and struggled up 
with boots full of water ; and after an eternity of 



l8o THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

effort struggled out on the other side, to stand in 
the cold, teeth chattering, trying to get shelter 
against the cold wind in the hollow of the 
cypress, and still keep a lookout for ducks. The 
fingers were too cold to pull the trigger, almost, 
but a sprig came in and we nailed him. And no 
more came our way. 

Just before we had frozen stiff the boy came 
back and we set out to walk around the lake. It 
was only half as ,far as straight across. Some 
strays passed over, and in response to our call a 
mallard duck settled down upon the ground. The 
boy looked inquiringly at us, but we told him we 
did not take such shots, and he crawled up and 
executed the bird. A jack snipe rose, and fell 
promptly. Wading across a bayou we caught a 
glimpse of green shining on the shore, and it 
proved to be a teal, directly in front. He rose 
when we were within 40 feet, and fell with his 
head shot off ; which evidently elevated us in the 
estimation of the boy. Meanwhile the Professor 
had accumulated a respectable collection of birds ; 
and we had game enough for the table. 

Arriving at the house, a discussion arose as to 
the way to cook them. We stoutly maintained 



DUCKING AT CATAHOULA LAKE. l8l 

that a bird that had a distinctive flavor hke a teal 
should be lightly broiled. But the lady intimated 
that she had something else in contemplation that 
would open our eyes and enlarge our views. It 
did both. Will it be believed that those delicate 
little teal, the snipe, sundry squirrels and quail 
subsequently brought in, were ground up with 
smoked pork and onions into an undistinguish- 
able mass of sausage, and fried? Shades of 
Vatel ! 

One look at the proud face of the designer of 
the dish, and the Professor loudly vaunted the 
idea, and took another helping. No one could 
have had the heart to dissent — and our virtue 
was rewarded, for nothing could induce our good 
hostess to cook the birds any other way. The 
Professor's praise settled that. Though his 
name indicates an origin Teutonic rather than 
Milesian, and his huge frame would have easily 
sustained the armor of Goetz von Berlichingen, 
he must have kissed the Blarney stone, and no 
living woman could resist the charm of his ap- 
proval. 

We lived on the food described for a week, and 
drank enough coffee to paralyze the Postum 



152 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

Cereal man — the Professor negotiated 14 cups a 
day — and had not a trace of our acid dyspepsia. 
Is there any remedy for this complaint, except 
hard work? 

One evening a neighbor came over with his 
wife, the one who had so high a reputation as a 
worker. She was a thin little woman, with hol- 
low cheeks and great brown eyes, sad, as their 
only child had been recently killed by accident, 
while out hunting. The inevitable snuff stick pro- 
truded from her lips. The husband was a bright, 
merry fellow, who at once struck up a trade with 
our old driver. They traded wagons, then fell to 
about their horses, and as the spirit of trade 
aroused the sporting- blood the younger man 
asked if the other had a "trading hat," or jack- 
knife, and finally proposed they should go out on 
the gallery and trade clothes to the skin. "Would 
trade everything he owned but the old woman," 
he announced. 

The driver was a character in his way. He 
owned to 75 years, rivaled the Professor's 6 ieet 
4 inches when erect, but was wholly longitudinal 
in dimensions. On the road he informed us at 
intervals of five minutes that the road was "pret- 



DUCKING AT CATAHOULA LAKE. 1 83 

ty heavy today." He stood in awe of the Pro- 
fessor's deep bass, and seeing this that irreverent 
youth played it on the old man in a way to be 
reprobated. Mrs. S. gave us a pie one day for 
lunch, and smilingly announced that it was the 
exclusive property of the Professor. Accordingly 
the latter authoritatively forbade all others 
meddling with his pie. About noon S. and the 
Doctor came across the lake to the wagon, and 
began foraging for lunch. S. got out the pie and 
each of us took a liberal slice, in spite of the old 
driver's protest that it was the Professor's pie, 
and he must be held guiltless. Pretty soon the 
Professor came over, and on seeing the hole in 
the pie bellowed in an awful voice: "Who took 
my pie?" The old man threw up his arm as if 
to protect his head, and anxiously cackled that 
he had no hand in it, that it was the Doctor and 
S., and that he had told them they should not do 
it. Just then the Doctor sauntered in, and the 
Professor tackled him about who ate the pie. 
Dr. at once assured him it was the old driver; 
that he had seen the stains of the berries on his 
lips ; which mendacious statement was received 
by the old man with voluble indignation. S. came 



184 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

up, and on being appealed to at once "caught on," 
and put the blame on the driver. He was simply 
speechless with this most unjust charge. All the 
rest of the day the Professor scolded over the 
pie, and we thought of new arguments showing 
that no one but the driver could have purloined 
it. But about bedtime, after there had been still- 
ness for a time, a still small voice came from the 
old man saying with a tone of dawning compre- 
hension : ''I believe you fellows have been hav- 
ing fun with me about that pie." This was too 
much, and the walls fairly cracked with the howls 
of delight. 

We did not treat the old man very badly, 
though, as on leaving he assured us if we ever 
came again into that country he would be only 
too willing to join us in a similar trip. 



CHAPTER XXV. 



SOME LOUISIANA FOLKS. 

No negroes have ever been allowed to settle in 
the Catahoula country. The dead line is seven 
miles from Alexandria. No objection is made if 
anyone desires to bring a negro servant tempo- 
rarily into the country, but he must go out with 
his employer. Once a lumberman brought 
negroes in, and determined to work them. They 
were warned, and left. Next year be brought in 
a new lot, and announced that he would protect 
them. They were duly warned, but refused to 
leave. One morning they were found — seven of 
them— hanging to the rafters of their house. 
Years elapsed before the experiment was again 
tried. The -coroner's jury brought in a verdict of 
suicide — and this was in dead earnest— no joke 
or hilarity intended. To disregard due warning 
was equivalent to any other method of self-de- 
struction. 

When in after years an attempt was made to 
work negroes here, warnings were duly posted 



185 



1 86 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

• 

on their doors. The negroes left. But the em- 
ployer was a determined man, and swore he 
would be eternally dingbnsted — or words to that 
effect — if he didn't work all the niggers he 
pleased; and he enlisted a new lot of the most 
desperate characters he could find. Warning 
was given and neglected ; when one evening, as 
the darkies sat at supper, a rifle bullet knocked 
the nail keg from under one of them, and next 
morning not a negro was to be found in the 
vicinity. 

Observe the dispassionate, thoroughly con- 
servative and gentlemanly way the people han- 
dled the affair. There was no thirsting for gore, 
no disposition to immolate these misguided folks 
to their employer's obstinacy; just a gentle hint 
that Catahoula did not allow negroes. An in- 
timation to the employer followed, that a repeti- 
tion would be followed by a rifle aifned at him, 
not the keg this time, and he was wise enough 
to see the point. 

We have heard these people spoken of as being 
dangerous characters. They might be such, if 
misunderstood and their prejudices rudely af- 
fronted. But we found them a simple, warm- 



SOME LOUISIANA FOLKS. 187 

hearted, scrupulously honest set, with whom we 
thoroughly enjoyed a week's companionship, and 
expect to go back for another one. Their inter- 
ests are limited, their viewpoint may not permit 
an extensive outlook, but their doors are always 
open to the stranger, the coffee-pot on the stove, 
and the best they have is off'ered him with a cour- 
tesy that never fails. They take little interest in 
politics, newspapers we did not once see there, 
and schooling is limited. Mrs. S. did not go to 
church in summer, because that would involve 
the putting on of shoes — though she did say that 
if she chose to go she would not hesitate to march 
into church in her bare feet, let those dislike it 
who might ! 

But do not imagine that these worthy people 
are deficient in common sense. Mr. S. was per- 
fectly aware that the timber he does not cut now 
is worth three times what is was when he took 
up this land, and will be worth more every year. 
This pine must reproduce itself with marvel- 
ous rapidity. We saw the furrows of the old 
cotton cultivation running away back through 
the woods, in which the trees were about ready 
for the saw. There is plenty of land still open 



1 88 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

for homesteading, but one must hunt it up for 
himself, as the government gives absolutely no 
information to inquirers, except that township 
maps cost a dollar apiece. If you want to know 
what townships of what parishes have land avail- 
able, just get. on your horse and explore, till you 
find out. 

The land companies make amends for this. 
There are about ten million acres of land in 
Louisiana, and of this over six millions are of- 
fered for sale in one little pamphlet before me. 
Much oi this is sea marsh, which ought to pro- 
duce sea island cotton. We could find no one 
who knew of its ever having been tried, but pre- 
sume there is some reason for not raising it, as 
this is a very profitable crop, selling for double 
the market price of ordinary cotton. 

Why is there so much land for sale? For we 
did not meet a solitary man, northern or south- 
ern by birth, who seemed to contemplate leaving 
the state. The truth is there are not enough in- 
habitants to utilize the land. Millions of acres 
are lying idle for want of workers. Every in- 
ducement is extended to men to settle here and 
utilize the resources now going to waste. 



SOME LOUISIANA FOLKS. 189 

The South needs ''Yankees." An ex-Confed- 
erate, discussing- Baton Rouge, said: "A dozen 
hve Yankees would regenerate this town, and 
make fortunes at it." They would pave the 
streets, cover in the sewers, build up the vacant 
spots in the heart of the city, supply mechanical 
work at less inhuman prices than are now 
charged, and make this rich and intelligent com- 
munity as attractive in appearance as the citi- 
zens are socially. 

One such man has made a new city of Alex- 
andria. He has made the people pave their streets, 
put in modern sewerage, water, electricity, etc., 
build most creditable structures to house the pub- 
lic officials, and in a word, has "hustled the 
South," till it had to put him temporarily out of 
office until it got its "second wind." 

In consequence Alexandria has no rival in the 
state except Shreveport. And the people like it ; 
they brag of Walsh and his work, take immense 
pride in the progress of their beautiful city, and 
have developed into keen, wide-awake Ameri- 
cans o,f the type that has built up our country. 

It seems essential for the incentive, the leaven, 
to come from outside; but this is the lesson 



190 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

of history. Xanthlppiis did nothing for Corinth, 
but aroused S3Tacuse. Marion Sims vegetated 
in comparative obscurity till he left the South, to 
become the leading surgeon of New York and 
Paris. What would Ricord have been had he re- 
mained in America? The interchange of blood, 
the entering of a stranger among any commun- 
ity, acts as a disturbing element, that arouses 
action. And without action there is no progress. 

The most promising indication is that this 
seems fully comprehended in the South, and the 
immigrant is welcomed. 

It is well to be cautious about accepting as lit- 
erally true the statements made to strangers. 
People will exaggerate; and the temptation to 
fill up a more or less gullible ''tenderfoot" is 
often irresistible. 

Thus, we are told that connections between 
white men and negro women are quite common ; 
in fact, almost a matter of course. And these 
connections are defended, as exalting the white 
woman to such a pinnacle that the seduction of 
one would be followed by lynching the seducer; 
while there is no wrong done the negro woman, 
because she has no moral sense in such matters, 



SOME LOUISIANA FOLKS. 191 

to be injured. Instead of feeling that she is 
''lost," she brags of her ''conquest." 

But several facts lead us to doubt the literal 
truth of these statements. We note that the same 
tales are told in illustration that we heard when 
here five years ago. No new material seems to 
have appeared in that time. Then again, the 
mulatto is exceedingly rare ; the negroes met on 
the streets and in the field's being pure black. 
These and similar facts lead us to receive the 
above accounts with a very large grain of salt. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 



FROM WINTER TO SUMMER IN A DAY. 

"March ii. 1904. — We left Chicago at 6 p. m. 
The ground was covered with snow, the winds 
cutting through our clothes, and winter still held 
his own relentlessly. By the time we reached 
Cairo the change was evident ; and next evening 
at the same hour we were well down in Missis- 
sippi, and our clothes oppressively warm. Trees 
were in full leaf, and numerous cold frames 
showed that trucking was in full operation. Rain 
set in and followed us to Memphis, but then the 
sky cleared. We found full summer at New 
Orleans, the grass in the parks green, the foliage 
that of midsummer. At Baton Rouge the violets 
were about over, but the roses were enough to 
discourage one from ever again trying to raise 
them in Chicago. 

Why do people suffer from the winter north 
when they need not do so? Many shiver and 
pine for the warm days, during this month of 
blustering cold, when everyone has had enough 

192 



FROM WINTER TO SUMMER IN A DAY. I93 

winter and longs for spring, while all they have 
to do is to jump on a train and in 24 hours they 
are in this delightful clime. When need compels, 
we must take our medicine without a grumble; 
but to many all that keeps them north in March 
is inertia and thoughtlessness. 

There are many little businesses carried on in 
these river boats. We saw many trading boats 
which supplied ordinary necessaries and carried 
small freights, or gathered up skins and* other lit- 
tle products not worth the while of steamers to 
stop for. Photographers ply up and down the 
streams ; a fortune teller makes good profits ; a 
quack sells liniments and other drugs, and does 
a bit of unlicensed practice ; and very likely some 
boats sell whisky. We did not hear of an evan- 
gelist, yet there seems to be a need for some 
work of this sort. One man sold roofing paint 
along the river for good profits. 

The South would do well to study the practical 
applications of the maxim : "Put yourself in 
his place." The Italians keep goats as the Irish 
do pigs. Both forage for a living, and supply an 
important place in the social economies. The 
goat is to the Italian a matter of course. But a 



194 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

doctor was annoyed by the animals, and told his 
Italian neighbor he must keep his goats shut up. 
He did not do so, and so the doctor shot the 
goats. Next morning, as the doctor passed the 
Italian's stand, the latter drew a pistol, remark- 
ing: *'You shoot my goat; I shoot you," and 
shot the doctor dead. This nearly precipitated a 
race riot. 

If there was no law against allowing goats to 
run at large, the Italian was strictly within his 
rights. It was up to the doctor to fence his prem- 
ises. If there was such a law, the doctor should 
have called on the proper officers to enforce it. 
In either case he was in the wrong ; and the habit 
of taking the law in one's own hands was re- 
sponsible for the tragedy. " 

The discontent of the negro with plantation 
life and work is not, we are everywhere told, a 
matter of wages. Then why is there no intelli- 
gent attempt made to study the question with a 
view to devising means of attaching him to the 
place ? He is a child in many respects, and amuse- 
ment goes far in rendering him contented and 
happy. Were he these, he would not be* restless 
to leave the plantations. A barbecue next week. 



FROM WINTER TO SUMMER IN A DAY. I95 

a dance Saturday night, a little fun in expecta- 
tion, would go far to keep him quiet, and need 
not cost more than a trifle of what it would be 
worth. The problem seems easy enough, but we 
have heard of no attempt to solve it on such lines. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 



VOYAGE ENDED. 

And here our voyage ended. The doctor 
moved ashore to join his wife and children. Mil- 
lie went to St. Louis, and Jim to Oklahoma; 
while Frank and Jake remained on the boat until 
it was finally disposed of. Frank had worked on 
the engine until he had mastered her, and found 
the difficulties. She had never been properly in- 
stalledj so we got blue prints from her builders 
and reset the engine in accordance with them. 
We got new batteries, a block tin pipe in place 
of the iron one which took the gasoline from the 
tank to the engine, and rust from which had fig- 
ured largely in the troubles we experienced. The 
pump had been literally cut to pieces by the mud 
in the river water and a new one was obtained. 
When thus refitted, she ran without a balk ; and 
we really believe a child could have managed her. 
She turned out to be what had been claimed for 
her, remarkably fast. In fact, we left her with 
the determination that our next engine should be 



VOYAGE ENDED. 1 97 

a Fay and Bowen, also. She was sold to a resi- 
dent of Baton Rouge, for $300; the alterations 
having cost the Doctor about $50, in addition to 
the boys' wages. One thing we learned — never 
order work down here without a distinct agree- 
ment as to the work and the price. Frank or- 
dered a little fixing at a local shop, for which he 
said $6 was a liberal price ; but the man brought 
in a bill of over $16. 

The small boats, guns and shells were sent 
back to Chicago, most of the furniture sold for 
trivial sums, and the cabin boat left in the charge 
of Mr. S. S. Lewis, of the Lewis Lumber Co. for 
sale. All attempts to obtain a tow up the river 
failed. The big coal companies' agents referred 
us to the home office, but said the price would 
not be less than $300. We heard that the captains 
of tow boats going up would -take us up for a 
trifle, but we did not find one of these chances, 
after waiting two months. Some men talked of 
buying the cabin and launch and taking it around 
to the Bayou Manchac for a hunting and fishing 
lodge, but nothing came of it. 

We might have sold by bringing the outfit 
around to the Gulf ports, but had no leisure for 



198 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

this. A plan was suggested to load the cabin 
with palmettoes and take them to St. Louis to 
serve as decorative plants at the Fair; but the 
Superintendent of Audubon Park said the plants 
would not live, that when the root of a palm was 
cut it died back to the stalk, and it was doubtful 
if a new growth of roots would take place. But 
men who try to extirpate the palms say they are 
unkillable; and the two we took up and replant- 
ed in the boat were still living after two months, 
and had out two new leaves each. Possibly we 
might have made a good thing, as the boat could 
have carried 1,000 good-sized palms. 

At New Orleans we hear these cabin boats are 
so plentiful they cannot be given away. The 
Desplames was sold there for a good price. 



CHAPTER XXVIIJ. 



DANGERS AND DELIGHTS. 

A FEW words as tO' certain dangers that might 
be expected on such a trip. We were never an- 
noyed by loafers, tramps, or unpleasant visitors 
of any sort, with the one exception of the prob- 
able river pirates whose visit is described. At the 
towns people let us alone, and those who were 
interested enough to call on us were entirely un- 
objectionable. Of course our numbers may have 
had some influence. 

We never had any malaria or other febrile af- 
fection, and most of our drug supply was super- 
fluous. Half a dozen articles would comprise the 
list for any ordinary party. 

During the entire trip we never saw a snake, 
alligator, centipede, scorpion or any other veno- 
mous reptile. Flies and mosquitoes left us at the 
first frost, and our mosquito hats and veils were 
never used. The other insect pests of the south 
— fleas, gnats, redbugs, ticks and jiggers — began 
to show up in April, after we had left the boat 

199 



200 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

and were living on shore. We were out in the 
wrong season for fish, turtles and frogs, and in 
fact found difficulty in procuring any fish at all, 
excepting carp, for our table. But a little more 
activity on our part would probably have rem- 
edied this — we did not try to fish much. So with 
the shooting — w^ did not try very hard, and 
never shot more than we could eat without waste. 

It was our impression that the South fairly 
bristles with opportunities for business. There is 
plenty of cheap land, room for hundreds of thou- 
sands of farmers and lumbermen, dairies, general 
stores, supply houses of every sort. Fruit, ber- 
ries, garden truck of all sorts, nuts, milk, butter, 
chickens and ducks, eggs, and many other 
articles might be raised and a market found for 
them along the river. There is a very short sup- 
ply of nearly all these products, right where they 
could be raised. 

The old prejudice against a white man's work- 
ing alongside a negro seems to be dying out. We 
saw men of both colors working together too 
often for it to be in any degree exceptional. 
Negro mechanics in New Orleans get from four 
to seven dollars a day, and are very independent 



DANGERS AND DELIGHTS. 201 

as to their work. Many large planters rent small 
lots to negroes, others to Italians, and sell on easy 
terms to either whenever they wish to buy. So 
far has the disdain of manual work subsided that 
we were informed that in one of the most prom- 
inent (white) universities many of the pupils 
support themselves in part by waiting on the 
table, washing dishes, and in other ways. 

Assuredly it is not now looked upon as de- 
grading to any white man in the south, that he 
should work with his hands, if need be. 

If there is any prejudice now against northern 
m.en who come to settle in the south, it kept itself 
out of our sight. Instead, we find immigration 
agents established by the state, to set before the 
men of the north the advantages they can secure 
by coming south. Of the numerous northern 
men we met and talked with, who had come 
south, but one spoke of encountering prejudice — 
and we strongly suspect he had given good cause. 
Many northern men^ like the writer, have mar- 
ried southern girls, and thus the lines of separa- 
tion between the sections are becoming confused 
and indistinct. 

One Indiana man, who had come south, ex- 



202 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

pressed what may be taken for the usual view, as 
we received it: ''Any northern man who has 
$3,000 is a fool if he does not bring it down here 
and make his fortune in ten years out of it." And 
this is the man for whom there are such abun- 
dant openings here — the one who has a small 
capital and good business sense. 



The River — that great, wonderful river. We 
descended its current at the time the water was 
at the lowest; but the impression of its giant 
power grew on us daily; the resistless sweep of 
the current, the huge boils rising from the depths, 
the whirlpools; but above all the cutting away 
of the banks. We soon discovered that levees 
are not meant as restraints of this erosion — the 
river flows how and where it will — but to protect 
against the flood waters. From Alton to the gulf 
there is scarcely a stone to be seen, and the cur- 
rent flounders about through the soft alluvium, 
like a whale in blankets. When the cutting ap- 
proaches the levees new ones are constructed 
further back; and the intervening country is 
handed over to its fluvial master. 



DANGERS AND DELIGHTS. 203 

The commerce of the river systems is a thing 
of the past, but a shadow of what it was about 
wartime. The railways carry the freights now. 
But how is it more people do not travel by water ? 
Years ago we went by steamer from Cincinnati to 
Louisville, and thoroughly enjoyed the trip — the 
quiet, absence of rattle and smoke, the lovely 
panorama floating by, the music, the well-served 
meals, and the leisurely, cultured folk who were 
really taking time to travel pleasantly, instead of 
the hustle of limited expresses. Surely, the only 
reason more people do not enjoy this mode of 
travel is that they do not know of it. 

But when one floats on the bosom of the great 
river there grows up a certain fascination for it. 
We saw one cabin boat in which an elderly man 
was said to have lived for years, alone. A man 
of wealth, who could have utilized Pullmans had 
he chosen. One can readily comprehend this ; for 
long will it be ere the beating of the waves 
against the side of the boat ceases from our 
dreams. A little cabin boat that one could man- 
age, dogs for the only companions, guns and 
rods, and the long, quiet sojourn where the coal 



204 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

and other trusts matter not a whit — and where 
could hermit find such a delightful retreat! 

Then for the elderly man who has outlived his 
family and the period of active participation in 
the world's warfare. What a home for a group 
of such men, who could be company for each 
other. 



CHAPTER XXIX. 



RESULTS. 



The Doctor enjoyed every moment of the 
trip. While we have recorded all the accidents 
and drawbacks, the reader must not imagine 
that they were really serious or detracted much 
from the pleasure. If we fished and hunted but 
little it was because we found so much of in- 
terest and delight that the time was filled with- 
out these pastimes. We did not use our wheels 
much for the same reason — we had so much go- 
ing on that we rarely felt the desirability of 
more means of occupying our time. The work 
went on well, and in this respect the plan 
worked out as expected. There were abundance 
of time and few interruptions; time for study, 
for putting the thoughts on paper; and the lit- 
tle breaks when called on deck, never disar- 
ranged the mental machinery. The exercise 
was most beneficial. Chopping or sawing 
wood, and helping with the boat work, brought 

205 



206 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

the digestion into good condition, and we came 
home much stronger than we left. 

The same may be said of the children. The 
boy enjoyed it all; the girl did well, but natur- 
ally got tired and longed for her little friends. 
Both improved in physique and broadened their 
ideas, and laid in a store of knowledge. They 
learned much and were not roughened in man- 
ners. 

The invalid did pretty well and would have 
done much better had our original plan been 
followed; but the delay caused by building the 
new boat allowed us to be caught in the No- 
vember storms on the Illinois, and then it was 
a constant hurry to get south. Toward the last 
she tired of the boat and longed for the flesh- 
pots of Egypt — other women to talk clothes to, dry 
goods stores, the luxuries of civilization. Few 
women have enough of the gipsy in their blood 
to- stand seven months' travel without ennui. 

The experience of the Desplaines showed the 
wisdom of beginning with a clear understand- 
ing with the crew and paying them fair wages. 
They took the crew on an indefinite arrange- 
ment, paying no wages. When they fell in with 



RESULTS. 207 

US their crew became discontented, constant 
quarreling resulted, and the crew broke up. 
Naturally, when they found our men receiving 
wages for easier work than theirs, dissatisfac- 
tion resulted. Don't go on such an expedition 
with the crew on a "no wages" basis. Pay 
fairly, or else make up the party on the basis 
of equal participation in the expenses; but don't 
mix matters. 

Don't buy an old boat. There is a satisfac- 
tion in knowing that' the timbers beneath you 
are sound and put together in the strongest pos- 
sible manner, and amply able to withstand the 
fiercest trials they can possibly receive. Espe- 
cially if women and children are to form part 
of your crew, you want to feel easy on the 
score of your boat. Have the boat built at a 
place like Henry, where well-selected lumber 
and honest work will go in the building. Have 
it brought to Chicago and start in the boat here. 

Do not have a boat more than sixteen feet 
wide, outside measure, that is to pass through 
the canal. 

Have the roof thoroughly watertight and the 
crevices about the base of the cabin protected 



208 THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

by quarter-rounds and calking so that there 
will be no water leaking in there when waves 
wash over the deck. Have a good large open 
deck in front, for there you will live in pleasant 
weather. Get a good wood-burning stove for 
cooking — gasoline and oil are too expensive, 
when you get wood for nothing. 

Select your party with care; not everyone 
who goes into such a trip with enthusiasm will 
wear well, when living half a year in a boat with 
you. Leave out people who expect the luxuries 
of a well-appointed hotel. Limit the clothing 
for men and women to two suits each ; one for 
the boat and one for town. You may not dis- 
turb the latter for months. If you can possibly 
avoid it, take no one in the party who drinks 
liquor even in moderation — certainly not in the 
crew. Every modification of this opens the door 
to trouble. If a guest takes his morning eye- 
opener the crew will want to do so; and some 
one of them may be of the sort that can not 
taste it without getting crazy drunk. 

It seemed to us that anyone of a mercantile 
turn could do a good business along the river; 
pay expenses and make money. Everywhere 



RESULTS. 209 

along the great river people boarded our boat, 
asking what we were selling. The men asked 
for whisky, the women for dry goods or dress- 
making. At one landing a trader sold eighteen 
skiffs. On the Atchafalaya we passed a cabin- 
boat bearing in large letters the title: "The 
White Elephant Saloon." We heard that this 
boat had given the authorities much trouble, 
but can not vouch ,for the truth of the report. 
She was selling liquor, evidently, and we gave 
her a wide berth. Melville was a temperance 
town, but there was a shanty across the river 
known as ''the Goose," where liquor was sold, 
and a skiff ferry to it was well patronized. The 
owner was building a large cabinboat at a cost 
of $1,000, but for what purpose we could only 
presume ; and our presumption was that it 
would be a profitable investment. 

To make a similar trip leave Chicago between 
the 15th and 30th of September, provide for 
towage through the canal to La Salle, and float 
down the rivers, stopping when the weather is 
unpleasant. You should take a tow from 
Kampsville to the Mississippi, as there is little 
current from the Illinois into it. Thereafter 



2IU THE HOUSEBOAT BOOK. 

even so small an engine as our 3-horse-power 
will suffice, as you will not be hurried and can 
await favorable winds. The larger the boat the 
more men will be required. Ours was right for 
four men ; and that is a good number for a 
party. There will be no danger of annoyance, 
while a smaller party might meet some ugly 
customers. With every additional member the 
chances for disagreement " increase^ — and life is 
too short for quarreling. On reaching the mouth 
of Red River, ascend that stream till you can 
reach Catahoula Lake, if you are after ducks 
and geese ; though the old river-bed lakes along 
the Mississippi will furnish plenty. But if deer 
and other large game attract you, descend the 
Atchafalaya to Alabama bayou ; then pass 
through Grand Lake to the gulf and coast 
around to the string of resorts along the coast 
from Bay St. Louis to Pensacola and the Flor- 
ida coast, if so long a trip is desired. If you 
ascend the rivers you will need tows, unless 
your power is large. 

The results of the trip to the writer may be 
summed us as : Better work, better done, and 
more of it, than would have been possible in the 



RESULTS. 211 

same time at the city home; a renewal of vital- 
ity, digestion improved, years rolled back so 
that again has come that sense of capacity to 
work without limit, that has not been present 
for years ; and a crowd of pleasant recollections 
that will endure for life. 

Would we like to go again ? Just give us the 
chance ! 



NOV 5 1904 



